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Europe

Belgian region lawmakers approve EU-Canada trade pact

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Minister-President of Wallonia Paul Magnette attends a session in the Walloon Parliament in Namur, Belgium on Friday, Oct. 28, 2016. The European Union and Canada are closing in on a landmark free trade deal after Belgium cleared internal political opposition.(AP Photo/Thierry Monasse) (The Associated Press)

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    Image 2 of 3

    Minister-President of Wallonia Paul Magnette attends a session in the Walloon Parliament in Namur, Belgium on Friday, Oct. 28, 2016. The European Union and Canada are closing in on a landmark free trade deal after Belgium cleared internal political opposition to the agreement.(AP Photo/Thierry Monasse) (The Associated Press)

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    Minister-President of Wallonia Paul Magnette, left, attends a session in the Walloon Parliament in Namur, Belgium on Friday, Oct. 28, 2016. The European Union and Canada are closing in on a landmark free trade deal after Belgium cleared internal political opposition to the agreement.(AP Photo/Thierry Monasse) (The Associated Press)

BRUSSELS – Lawmakers in the Belgian region holding up an important new trade pact between the European Union and Canada have officially given their approval for the deal to go through.

The parliamentarians in the French-speaking region of Wallonia voted Friday by 58 votes for to 5 against, with no abstentions, to support the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

Regional Parliament President Andre Antoine said that "Europe must also pass by Wallonia."

Smaller than the U.S. state of New Jersey, Wallonia had used its power to block the deal between more than 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians for several weeks, deeply embarrassing the bloc.