EU trade ministers hope to sign the deal on Tuesday, but the outcome is in doubt after the Walloon parliament passed a resolution against it on Friday. The EU and Canada have spent seven years negotiating the comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA), which would eliminate tariffs on most goods between the two parties. The problems in finalising the CETA hint at the political minefield that the British government will face in agreeing a free trade deal with the EU. Insiders familiar with Belgium’s intricate political system said it was possible for the executive to override the Walloon parliament. EU leaders have suggested that it could take five years or longer to negotiate a free trade agreement with the UK.

Source: The Guardian October 14, 2016 15:20 UTC