Parliamentary State Secretary Brantner welcomes progress on the coalition’s trade agenda:
exit from the Energy Charter Treaty and ratification of CETA

Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, has welcomed the agreement on a specific aspect of the common trade agenda by the parliamentary groups supporting the government:

“We are taking specific steps to turn the Federal Government’s new trade policy agenda into reality. We are rigorously orienting our trade policy to climate action, and are therefore leaving the Energy Charter Treaty. This also sends an important signal to the UN climate conference. Further to this, we are getting serious about diversification, and aim to quickly form partnerships with Chile and Mexico which permit free and fair trade. In these times of worsening conflicts, it is crucial to strengthen cooperation. In this spirit, we will ratify the CETA with Canada, and deepen our cooperation with the United States.”

The parliamentary groups have agreed not least that Germany should leave the Energy Charter Treaty and at the same time should ratify the CETA trade accord with Canada. This decision follows successful talks between the Federal Government and the European Commission and the EU Member States on the adoption of a statement of clarifications by the CETA Joint Committee in order to restrict the abusive application of material standards of protection in the field of investment protection and regulatory cooperation. The European Commission is currently holding talks with the Canadian Government to finalise the declaration for the CETA Joint Committee.