World trade deal can be vetoed

AS a member of the steering committee in the European Parliament that deals with WTO issues, I can assure readers that each EU member state can exercise a veto in the case of a world trade agreement.

The reason for this position is that if there is a world trade deal over the next three to five years, it would cover policy areas that would require the unanimous agreement of all 27 EU member states, including issues such as intellectual property rights and transport services.

While agreement for a world trade deal is very remote and highly unlikely, it is worth emphasising that any country within the EU can veto a final world trade deal if it is unacceptable to a particular country.