Belgium breaks political deadlock over EU Canada CETA trade deal

Belgian politicians have ended a political deadlock over a free trade deal between the EU and Canada.

All 27 other EU governments backed the deal but Wallonia, the French-speaking south of Belgium, had rejected it.

But now the Belgian government says a deal has been reached to back the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

The stalled talks had cast doubt over the British efforts to be able to strike a new deal with the bloc after Brexit.

The proposed CETA would set up a free trade zone between the EU and Canada - the first agreement of its kind set up with a major economy outside the EU.

The regional government of the French-speaking region of Wallonia has previously refused to give the go-ahead over fears that it will harm local workers and give power to multinational organisations at the expense of individual states.

Belgium's political structure means that it cannot approve the deal without all the five regions' approval, even though the central government wants to go ahead.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said that the heads of Belgium's regions had produced a deal to allay concerns.

Any deal agreed in Belgium will still have to be put to the other 27 EU members for approval before CETA itself could be signed.