Freshly negotiated EU trade agreement with Canada to have positive and negative effects

Independent MEP Marian Harkin has said a freshly negotiated EU trade agreement with Canada will have positive and negative impacts on people in Ireland.

Independent MEP Marian Harkin (pictured) has said a freshly negotiated EU trade agreement with Canada will have positive and negative impacts on people in Ireland.

It has taken eight years to broker the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement known as CETA which would offer EU firms more business opportunities in Canada and support jobs in Europe.

The agreement has to be ratified by the European Parliament and the European Council, while the commission conceded that it would also need approval by the national parliaments of EU member states.

However, Marian Harkin warns not everyone will benefit from the agreement: “There are people who say trade brings jobs for everybody, a rising tide lifts all boats.

“There are people who say trade is the worst thing ever, globalisation, race to the bottom.

“The truth is somewhere in between, in any trade deal there has to be winners and losers, I can’t understand these people who say everybody wins.

“How in God’s name can everybody win? Some people have to lose.

“So there are winners and losers in every trade deal.”