Canada-EU Stalled Trade Deal: Can the Tories Deliver on Free Trade?

Well, it was supposed to be done in 2012.

From today's The Globe and Mail:

The Harper government is pushing hard to secure a trade deal with the European Union before the Commons adjourns in June, an achievement the Conservatives sorely need to demonstrate they can ink ambitious accords that reduce Canada’s reliance on the United States.

Ottawa is in a race against the clock now that the European Union is turning its attention to a separate accord with the United States – a development that threatens to overshadow EU negotiations with Canada.

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But time could be working against Canada. Ottawa’s long-delayed trade deal with South Korea stands as a reminder of what can go wrong when Canada fails to beat the United States to the punch. “The Canada-Korea free-trade deal was absolutely in the last stages and was completely set aside when Korea started to negotiate with the U.S.And the U.S. completed and Canada still languishes,” said Ted Haney, president of the Canadian Beef Exporting Federation.

The Tories are under pressure to deliver. Almost since taking office, they have talked of signing major trade agreements that diversify commerce away from the slow-growing United States but have so far failed to land one significant accord that would underpin what has become a major pillar of the Harper economic strategy. Negotiations with India and other big economies have also made little progress.

Another issue that may be a sticking point:  European bans on fracking could be challenged under a Canada-EU free trade pact.