Meeting of the Committee on International Trade&nbsp;in the EP in Brussels. Vote on the Conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part (CETA): 41 votes, 25 in favour, 15 against 1 abstention. The report is adopted. Statement by Artis PABRIKS (EPP, LV), Rapporteur

Brussels

statement

meeting

vote

Committee on International Trade

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (T)

EU - Canada (T)

PABRIKS, Artis (EPP, LV)

Conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part (CETA): extracts from the vote and statement by Artis PABRIKS (EPP, LV), Rapporteur

Chair President lounching the vote (7 shots)

e-Vote results. Total voters 41; in favour 25; against 15; abstention 1 - Adopted.

SOUNDBITE (English), Artis PABRIKS (EPP, LV), MEP 8th parliamentary term - ministre letton des Affaires &#233;trang&#232;res, I think that if we are looking to this trade deal, there are two sides which are of high importance. The one side is the global side and the situation where we live today, and the other side is a really nitty-gritty questions about economy and trade deal itself. As far as to first one, yes we are currently facing a lot of global changes and many politicians and people think that they can overcome these challenges by simply looking or even going backwards. CETA and our today's vote is actually telling that we can embrace the challenges by going forward because this is traditionally the way how people have been actually overcoming different types of challenges.

SOUNDBITE (English), Artis PABRIKS (EPP, LV), It really takes on the board all those concerns which have ben among many citizens and societies, traditionally about the trade deals which is guarantees against big corporations, which is guarantees against the bad things which influence our health, like hormones or genetically modified products, and of course it is also much justier system if we are speaking about possibility to solve different contradictory issues and here I'm speaking about former ISDS (investor&ndash;state dispute settlement system) which has highly improved in CETA agreement.

SOUNDBITE (English), Artis PABRIKS (EPP, LV), MEP 8th parliamentary term - ministre letton des Affaires &#233;trang&#232;res, We can really call this trade deal as exemplary trade deal because we trust each other, EU, Europeans trust Canadians and vice versa, and we share the same values. And if countries which share the same values are concluding such deals it also brings these countries closer, stronger and it improves transatlantic tie. In our days whenever we see the global world is turning more protectionist, more nationalistic, more inward looking. I think it's highly important, that those who share the same values, the same goals are sticking together.