Thread by @remkorteweg

For my English-language followers; I apologise for tweeting a lot in Dutch the past two days about #CETA.

Today, NL parliament is debating ratification of #CETA. A majority in favour is not guaranteed.

Parallels with Wallonia's #CETA block in 2016 have been made, but... 1/N

...that comparison is wrong for a very important reason.

CETA has already been agreed by the European Parliament.
In 2016, it wasn't. Talks were ongoing.

It has been provisionally applied since late 2017.

Ratification is underway.

A Dutch No wd put NL & EU in a pickle. /2

As for the Dutch debate abt #CETA, it's brought back memories from my TTIP days.

Critics use the exact same arguments as those used against #TTIP.

CETA is framed as a backdoor for everything that is wrong with the US economy:

e.g. Chlorine-washed chicken, ICS, hormones /3

It almost seems as if Canada's proximity to the US is a reason for some not to want a trade deal with it.

Others make legitimate points about lack of animal welfare regulations in the deal.

But they overlook the guarantees on environmental and labour standards.

/4

Plus there is a tendency to focus on specific points that do not hold up when scrutinised:

e.g. beef.

Since '17, Canada has enjoyed more generous quotas, but farmers are only filling a tiny, tiny fraction of them due to stringent EU food checks.
(ft.com/content/c72634…)
/5

Apparently, the EU's system of SPS checks and certifications work.

But Dutch CETA critics still say "Canadian hormone-beef is coming!"

It's not.

They're come-back is "well, traces of hormones disappear within 1-2 months, so we don't know what's in the beef".

/6

That maybe true (I'm not a vet), but still, we know from 2 years of provisional application that CETA has not caused a rush of Canadian beef to flood the EU market.

In 2018 Canada filled 1.5-4% of its beef TRQ .

by comparison

EU cheese exporters filled >90% of their TRQ. /7

#CETA isn't perfect. It failed to deliver on substantial regulatory convergence (queue @alanbeattie) and animal welfare regs would've been welcome.

But critics are making the perfect the enemy of the good.

CETA benefits Dutch exporters, agrees labour & enviro standards … /8

@alanbeattie Opens the Canadian public procurement market, accepts EU professional qualifications, protects IPR & EU geographical indications...

and when confronted with Trumpian trade policy and Chinese state capitalism, a deal with a like-minded country like Canada makes sense … /9

@alanbeattie to boost European trade norms globally.

And then ofcourse there's #Brexit:

If the UK is seen to cozy up with the Americans as part of their negotiating strategy to get a "Canada-style" deal with the EU.
Expect these same #CETA-critics in NL to mobilise against it.

/10

@alanbeattie And we now know that the majorities in favour of a "Canada-style" deal are tight.

p.s. for those holding their breath, the vote on #CETA won't happen till next Tuesday. And if it passes the Lower House, it still has to go through the Upper House...

/end