Brussels - Arab Today
Lawmakers in the small Belgian region of Wallonia on Friday voted to block an EU-Canada trade deal in a move with serious implications for future trade talks with the US and a non-EU Britain.
"I will not give powers to the federal government, and Belgium will not sign CETA on October 18," Paul Magnette, the socialist head of the government in the French-speaking area, told an emergency session of the regional parliament.
In a largely expected vote outcome, 46 MPs voted in favour of refusing the trade deal, officially known as CETA and 16 voted against the motion, with one abstention.