比利時一地方議會挫敗歐盟 加拿大貿易協定
European trade policy has been thrown into disarray after Belgium’s government said it could not overcome objections in a regional parliament to an EU-Canada trade deal, despite weeks of talks to rescue the agreement.
歐洲的貿易政策已陷入混亂，此前比利時政府稱其無法解決一個地區議會對歐盟-加拿大貿易協定的反對，儘管有關各方已進行數週談判來挽救該協定。
The so-called Ceta pact is on the brink of collapse because of anti-globalisation objections in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of 3.5m people located a short drive from Brussels.
瓦隆大區(Wallonia)的反全球化抗議意味着，歐盟與加拿大達成的《綜合經濟與貿易協定》(CETA)正處於崩潰邊緣。瓦隆以法語作爲主要語言，人口350萬，距離布魯塞爾只有一小段車程。
Analysts say the power of a small region in one EU nation to frustrate a deal agreed on behalf of the bloc’s 500m people bodes ill for looming trade talks between the EU and a post-Brexit UK.
分析人士稱，一個歐盟國家的小小地方政府竟然有權力阻撓代表歐盟5億人口簽署的協定，對於即將開始的歐盟與退歐後的英國之間的貿易談判是不祥之兆。
The EU pact with Canada must be approved by all 28 member states before taking effect. Charles Michel, Belgian premier, supports the deal but said yesterday he could not sign it because Wallonia’s local parliament had voted against the agreement.
歐盟與加拿大之間達成的協定，必須由所有28個成員國批准後才能生效。比利時首相夏爾.米歇爾(Charles Michel)支持該協定，但他昨日表示，由於瓦隆地方議會投票反對該協定，導致他無法簽字。
The Ceta pact was to be signed at a long-planned ceremony on Thursday in Brussels. Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, and Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, resolved in an emergency phone call to continue efforts to try to save the deal.
該協定原定於週四在布魯塞爾一場策劃已久的儀式上籤署通過。加拿大總理賈斯廷.特魯多(Justin Trudeau)與歐洲理事會(European Council)主席唐納德.圖斯克(Donald Tusk)進行了緊急通話，決心繼續努力挽救該協定。
“We think Thursday’s summit is still possible. We encourage all parties to find a solution. There’s yet time,” Mr Tusk said on Twitter.
“我們認爲週四的峯會仍有希望。我們鼓勵有關各方找到一個解決方案。我們尚有時間，”圖斯克在Twitter上表示。
The affair has humiliated EU leaders, who had hoped that the “new generation” Canadian deal would set a benchmark for the world and pave the way for an even bigger trade deal with the US.
該事件令歐盟領導人蒙羞，他們本希望與加拿大的這個“新一代”貿易協定能爲全球樹立一個標杆，併爲將來與美國達成更大的貿易協定鋪平道路。
“EU trade policy won’t survive in a world where trade agreements have to be ‘democratised’ by every single national parliament and sub-legislature across the EU before they see the light of day,” said Peter Mandelson, the former EU trade commissioner. “This is a dagger at the heart of European trade policy, which must revert to an exclusive EU competence.”
“歐盟的貿易政策無法在這樣的世界生存，即貿易協定必須由歐盟所有國家的議會以及下級立法機構通過‘民主化’表決後才能生效，”歐盟前貿易專員彼得.曼德爾森(Peter Mandelson)說，“這是插入歐洲貿易政策心臟的一把匕首，這樣的政策必須恢復至由歐盟勝任機構獨家決定。”
John Clancy, senior adviser at FTI Consulting in Brussels, said the EU’s credibility had been damaged by the “political grandstanding” of the Walloon parliament. “The potential negative impacts are huge, including of course for a future EU-UK trade deal post-Brexit,” he added.
布魯塞爾的FTI Consulting高級顧問約翰.克蘭西(John Clancy)表示，瓦隆議會的“政治秀”損害了歐盟的信譽。“潛在的負面影響巨大，當然包括對未來英國退歐後歐盟-英國貿易協定的影響，”他補充道。
Efforts to placate the Walloons continue but officials are not optimistic after so many rounds of fruitless talks.
安撫瓦隆人的努力仍在繼續，但經過如此多輪毫無結果的談判，官員們並不樂觀。
“Everyone bent over backwards to try to suit the Walloons. But at this stage politics trumps trade,” said a trade official in another member state.
“大家都竭盡全力討好瓦隆人。但事到如今，政治壓倒了貿易，”另一歐盟成員國的貿易官員說。
