Luxembourg opposition parties have called for a postponement of the vote on Ceta, the free trade agreement between Europe and Canada.
The vote is scheduled to take place during a plenary parliamentary session at 2pm on Wednesday. It also includes a vote on a partnership agreement with Singapore. Critics say the CETA model is being called into question by the covid-19 health crisis and its economic impact.
Déi Lénk called for a postponement during Tuesday afternoon’s plenary, covering the stability and groth programme and national reform programme. The CSV, ADR and Pirate Party added their support for a postponement.
A subsequent vote saw 31 parliamentarians from the coalition parties in favour of retaining the schedule, with 29 votes against.
The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), has been approved by the European Parliament and provisionally entered into force in 2017.
But, critics say the covid-19 crisis shows the drawbacks of this globalisation strategy.
In a joint paper, the organisations Stop TTIP & CETA and Votum Klima urged Luxembourg MPs to vote against the European Union's trade agreements with Canada and Singapore.
It argues that the health pandemic has showed how “extremely long supply chains, dependence on producers and companies and other effects further demonstrate the harmful effects of over-globalisation.”
It wants Luxembourg decision makers to rethink globalisation in light of the crisis and calls for relocation instead of globalization.