Is deal dead or alive?

Still a glimmer of hope for Canada-EU trade pact

OTTAWA — About two months ago, when the ink had dried on the 1,600 pages of the Canada-EU free trade deal, two politicians decided another document — a mere five pages — was necessary to tie up loose ends.

Sources say it was those five pages, and not the deal itself, that proved pivotal this weekend as last-ditch talks in the European Commission collapsed, with the holdout Belgian region of Wallonia refusing to end its blockade of the long-sought deal.

A dejected-looking International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland walked out on the talks in Brussels, her tone and her words suggesting the deal was all but dead.

“It is now evident to me — evident to Canada — that the European Union is incapable of reaching an agreement, even with a country with European values such as Canada, even with a country as nice and as patient as Canada,” she said in French, her voice breaking.

“Canada is disappointed and I personally am disappointed, but I think it’s impossible. We are returning home.”

Early Saturday, however, Martin Schulz, the head of the European Parliament, announced on Twitter he would meet again with Freeland and Paul Magnette, the president of holdout Belgian region Wallonia, to try to revive the talks.

“We can’t stop at the last mile,” Schulz tweeted.

A spokesman for Freeland could not confirm whether the meeting will take place.

With the deal in peril, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has held back from announcing whether he’ll attend the Oct. 27 Canada-EU summit, a date set months ago as the official signing date for the agreement.

Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose tweeted that it was time for Trudeau to get personally involved in the talks.

“Absolutely unacceptable to throw in the towel on a critical trade deal,” Ambrose tweeted.

Canadian sources say the PM is not preparing, for now, to fly to Europe over the weekend, but he’s been personally involved in the talks — including a phone call with his Belgian counterpart.

It was Freeland herself and German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel who pushed for the creation and adoption of the document at the heart of the impasse, five pages that became known as the “Joint Interpretative Declaration. Sources say the deal itself was not open to renegotiation, but the interpretative declaration was fair game.