The European Parliament has approved a controversial free trade deal between the European Union and Canada after months of protests against such an agreement.
European Parliament lawmakers voted for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) by 408-254 on Wednesday after about eight years of negotiations.
The vote means that large parts of the EU-Canada deal, notably tariff reduction, will finally enter into force.
During the voting session, signs reading, "Stop CETA" and "Red Card to CETA," were seen near the seats of the lawmakers who oppose the deal. Demonstrators also gathered outside the parliament building in protest against the agreement.
Over the past few months, CETA has faced several protests, with opponents saying it would benefit the rich and enslave the poor.
The approval comes as the United States, under the administration of new President Donald Trump, has withdrawn from a similar trade agreement. Washington now seeks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Trump blamed for destroying the manufacturing sector in the US.
On January 23, President Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the negotiating process of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). The twelve-country agreement was negotiated under former US President Barack Obama, but was never ratified by Congress as it faced stiff opposition from Republicans and some Democrats.
A full implementation of the EU-Canada deal requires to be approved by more than three dozen national and regional parliaments. One left-wing group in the European Parliament said that CETA still faced defeat in national assemblies and referendums.
