European Union leaders have finally expressed hope of signing a trade deal with Canada after Belgian politicians overcame differences that had been blocking the treaty.
The Belgian compromise – a four-page text that sits alongside the 1,600-page treaty – was approved by ambassadors from 28 EU member states on Thursday afternoon. Belgium's regional parliaments are expected to endorse the text on Friday, paving the way for the deal to come into force on a temporary basis.
Canada's foreign minister Stéphane Dion said he was "prudently optimistic" that the treaty could be signed: "If it happens, it is excellent news." But he added that "a scalded cat fears cold water".
The Belgian compromise came too late for an EU-Canada summit that had been scheduled for Thursday. The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had been due to meet the EU leaders Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels, but decided at the last minute not to get on the plane, as Belgian politicians wrangled over the agreement late on Wednesday night.
The Belgian compromise came too late for an EU-Canada summit that had been scheduled for Thursday. The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had been due to meet the EU leaders Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels, but decided at the last minute not to get on the plane, as Belgian politicians wrangled over the agreement late on Wednesday night.
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