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28 EU governments support the Comprehensive Economic and Trade
Agreement (CETA) but Belgium cannot give assent without backing
from five sub-federal administrations. French-speaking Wallonia
has steadfastly opposed it.
"Let's be clear, I'm not a herald of anti-globalization, I want
a deal," Magnette told French daily Liberation in an interview
published on Tuesday.
But he said a court system specifically created to resolve
disputes between investors and governments could be exploited by
big business to dictate public policy.
"I would prefer that this entity disappears pure and simple and
that we rely on our courts," he said. "Or at the very least, if
we want an arbitration court, it must provide equivalent
guarantees to domestic ones."
Magnette referred to a mechanism known as Investor-state dispute
settlement (ISDS), which allows foreign companies to challenge
state interference, such as expropriation.
Typically, the lawsuit is brought before a panel of private
arbitrators, its members appointed by the investor and state in
dispute. The mechanism has been criticized because of lawsuits
brought by companies against tighter rules on public health,
environmental and labor standards.
Magnette said Canada agreed with Wallonia on this issue. "In
truth, it's a debate that is purely internal to the European
Union," he said.
Magnette said Wallonia was ready to accept a legally binding
amendment to CETA that would interpret provisions on arbitration
courts, public services and environmental legislation, although
it would have preferred a complete re-negotiation.
(Reporting by Michel Rose,; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
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