Jobbik wants European Court ruling over CETA pact

Budapest, October 11 (MTI) – The Jobbik party wants the European Court of Justice to rule on the bloc’s free trade pact with Canada, which it said would violate EU law.

Current European Union laws prohibit operating parallel courts, the party’s deputy group leader, Gábor Staudt, said on Tuesday, expressing concern that the pact would disregard European environmental regulations.

“Considering that the pact is not up to EU legal standards, any political debate over it would be fruitless,” he told a press conference.

Tibor Bana, another Jobbik lawmaker, accused the ruling Fidesz party of maintaining “a cynical position” over CETA. Fidesz presents its stance on the pact as if it had been doing its utmost to protect Hungary’s national interests. Yet CETA would put the country’s self-determination, environment and health and safety protection at risk, he added.

Bana accused Fidesz of giving up Hungary’s free GMO status, and argued that the pact hurts employees and small and medium-sized firms.

He criticised the planned dispute settlement mechanism allowing multinational companies to bring nation states to court, adding that both CETA and the planned TTIP accords should be scrapped.

Source: MTI