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Trudeau hails EU-Canada deal in address to EU parliament

An anti-CETA sticker is pictured on an European flag during a demonstration against the so-called CETA trade deal outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Feb.15, 2017. The European Union's parliament approved a trade deal with Canada, extolling the pact as a sign of cooperation at a time when many political forces, including U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, are trying to halt globalization.(AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias) An anti-CETA sticker is pictured on an European flag during a demonstration against the so-called CETA trade deal outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Feb.15, 2017. The European Union's parliament approved a trade deal with Canada, extolling the pact as a sign of cooperation at a time when many political forces, including U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, are trying to halt globalization.(AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

By Associated Press February 16, 2017 1 min read

STRASBOURG, France (AP) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hailed a landmark trade deal with the European Union, in an address to the EU parliament one day after the pact was formally approved.

Trudeau said Thursday that the deal would create jobs and boost the middle class on both sides of the Atlantic. He said that “trade that is free and fair means that we can make the lives of our citizens more affordable.”

Trudeau presented the pact as a “blue-print” for future trade deals and the outcome of Europe’s and Canada’s shared history and values.

Critics fear the pact gives too much power to multinationals and hope that it will be blocked by national and regional parliaments in the EU.