Martin SCHULZ,&nbsp;EP President, meets with Chrystia FREELAND, Minister of Trade of Canada to try to revive the CETA trade talks. They express themselves following their meeting in the EP in Brussels.

Brussels

statement

press point

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (T)

EU - Canada (T)

FREELAND, Chrystia (CA)

Statement by Martin SCHULZ, EP President and Chrystia FREELAND, Minister of Trade of Canada following their meeting

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/19744998/I128308Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, I have to present many thanks to Chrystia FREELAND for our meeting in the morning, it was not foreseen yesterday that we meet today. It was a very fruitful meeting and I want first of all to present my thanks to Chrystia FREELAND for postponing her flight, meeting me in the morning and it was a very meaningful meeting.The negotiations between Canada and the EU are closed, and we are ready, the Canadian side and normally also the European side, to sign on Thursday next week. There's still work to do on our side, the European side. I think we clarified once more a lot of points, also points I will discuss with Prime Minister MAGNETTE a little bit later, but I take note today that the Canadian side is prepared to sign. There is nothing unfinished, the other way around. The door for every step forward is open, but it is quite clear that the problems are European problems and we have to solve it.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, We went even into some of the details, it is necessary to discuss internally and I checked once more the position of the Canadian government and I am very optimistic that we can solve the problems we have with the EU. Once more thank you very much Chrystia, I think that it was perhaps also a decisive meeting in the morning and I hope that we can conclude during the next coming days.

SOUNDBITE (French), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, This meeting was not foreseen yesterday and I am very grateful that Madam Minister has postponed her flight back to Ottawa. It was a meeting that was perhaps decisive, the conclusion at the end of the meeting was that the negotiations are closed, the necessary clarifications have been made, the Canadian side is ready to sign as soon as possible, next week the summit (EU-Canada summit) stays on the agenda. And we hope that we can solve the problems that are still there in the EU , I will discuss it with Paul MAGNETTE a little late. I am optimistic after our meet that we will be able to find solutions also inside the EU. But one thing is clear, it a problem within the EU. The Canadian side have clearly stated that they put their positions on the table. Nothing is over, we proceed towards next Thursday, and we are, cautiously optimistic that the remaining problems can still be solved.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, The talks this morning were very constructive, I am very grateful to Minister FREELAND that she has postpone her flight to Ottawa, so that we could meet this morning to clarify, the negotiations have not failed but are concluded and it it is now an internal matter of the EU, to internally clarify the outstanding issues. The Canadian side has made considerable steps for which we are very grateful. And we also in our talks this morning clarified that the outstanding questions on the Wallonian side in our view are clarifiable. We hope that next Thursday the signatures can be achieved, and then to be able to start the ratification process. We will at any rate work in that direction this weekend.

SOUNDBITE (English), Chrystia FREELAND, Minister of Trade of Canada , Danke sch&ouml;n. So I will only clarify one small thing that President SCHULZ said, which is that I am now on my way home, I am on my way to the airport to catch a plane to Toronto, where I will be this weekend, not Ottawa. So yes, I am on my way home now. From Canada's perspective, our work is done. We've done our job. We have finished negotiating a very good agreement, and Canada is ready to sign this agreement. Now the ball is in Europe's court, and it is time for Europe to finish doing its job. We very much hope that that will happen. I very much hope that I will be able to return here in just a few days, to Europe, with my Prime Minster, and that we will be able to, as we had planned, sign this agreement with Europe on the 27th of October. And I do want to thank President SCHULZ for the chance to speak this morning

SOUNDBITE (French), Chrystia FREELAND, Minister of Trade of Canada, I will now return to Canada, to my home my life in Toronto. Canada has done its job. For us the negotiations are completed. The ball is now in Europe's court. I really hope that it will be possible for Europe and the Europeans on their side to do their job. Canada is ready to sign CETA, and we continue to hope that it will be possible to sign CETA on the 27t of October as was planned. And I hope personally, that it will be possible for me to come back here to Europe in a few days with my Prime Minister to sign the treaty. I would also like to thank President SCHULZ, for the meeting and the conversation. Good bye my friends.