Austria says will start 'conflict' in EU about Canada trade deal

Austria is ready to confront other European Union members states over its opposition to a free trade deal with Canada, Chancellor Christian Kern said, because it sees it containing many of the same problems as one being negotiated with the United States.

Austria opposes a proposed free trade deal with the United States, and Kern said the deal with Canada, called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), had many of the same problems.

"This will be difficult, this will be the next conflict in the EU that Austria will trigger ... We must focus on making sure ... we don't shift the power balance in favor of global enterprises," Kern told broadcaster ORF...

This has been excerpted from the 1 September 2016 edition of Reuters Canada and is available in its entirety at:
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN1173Q4