LMP calls on Orbán to veto EU-Canada free trade deal at summit

Budapest, March 25 (MTI) – The green opposition LMP party’s co-leader said he would bring before parliament a resolution proposal to oblige the prime minister to veto the CETA free trade deal between the European Union and Canada the next time the pact is on the agenda at an EU summit.

András Schiffer told a press conference on Friday that his proposal would prohibit the government from supporting free trade agreements whose effects would be harmful to the environment, public health, food safety, human rights or workers’ rights. Signing agreements with “anti-democratic” dispute settlement clauses would also be prohibited.

Under the proposal, the government would not even be allowed to sign into effect such agreements for a limited period without the approval of parliament.

Schiffer emphasised that the proposal would not only refer to CETA, but to the EU-US TTIP and TISA agreements as well, arguing that any clauses that make their way into CETA were bound to be included in the other agreements, too. He said CETA destroys many of the EU’s strict health, environmental and labour regulations meant to protect the rights of citizens.

If CETA’s text were to be signed into Hungarian law, both the country and the EU would “fall prey to agro-terroristic multinational companies”, Schiffer said. Hungary could say goodbye to its GMO-free status if the EU-Canada deal is implemented, he added.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters