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Speakers who took to the floor denouncing the proposed CETA deal were raucously cheered and clapped by their colleagues as observers said the vote is too close to call.

Proponents for the pact made nervous speeches to the house ahead of the vote, imploring MEPs not to scupper one of the EUs flagship projects and deliver another devastating blow to Brussels battered reputation.

But one German MEP was loudly booed as he defended the proposed agreement after embarking on a rambling attack against French populist leader Marine Le Pen and new US president Donald Trump.

CETA has endured a difficult birth, with its initial implementation blocked by the Belgian region of Wallonia following widespread public protests amid fears it will hand too much power to big business.

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French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen launched a blistering attack on the proposed deal today, saying it would further enrich the powerful at the expense of working families.

She raged: The CETA agreement was carefully hidden from citizens because none of you can justify it. You voted on it in private because debating in public, thats something you hate.

When citizens understand all of this they will never trust you again. That is why this is a terrible agreement. It will undermine thousands of jobs in Europe.

To loud applause she blasted: Are you not ashamed? Youre giving away our rights to legislate and youre robbing our citizens of the protection of their rights that they expect from their representatives.

Youre making it possible for multinationals to attack member states so you make sure no new legislation will displease them.

Its a disastrous picture and if this treaty is voted for this will show once again to citizens that you cannot defend them.

This is why its important for each country to find its sovereignty and determine its own future and the French public will have one possibility to change this fate and that will be the presidential elections.

It is up to nations to negotiate their agreements and not a non-elected structure which defends its own interests and not the interests of its citizens.

Her attack followed a withering assessment of the CETA pact by Tiziana Beghin, from the Five Star Movement, who said the powers it would hand to corporations were so wide-ranging it was an effective coup detat.

Attacking what she claimed will be watering down of food standards, she said: What has been promised is totally unrealistic. This will lay waste to European producers and manufacturers.

Were being carried down a very dangerous corridor with no regulations. Our citizens on the dining room table will be seriously affected.

The Italian MEP also attacked the controversial Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system, which allows big corporations to sue member states over laws which run counter to their commercial interests.

She said: It is a very reprehensible shameful closed justice system creating a triangle relationship between those in power. This is not the type of agreement we want.

CETA is a technocratic, non-elected construct that will be created. It is a silent coup detat. It is an institutional change which is masquerading as a trade agreement.

When citizens understand all of this they will never trust you again

Marine Le Pen

Socialist politician Anne-Marie Mineur appeared in the chamber clutching a bundle of papers containing 3.5 million signatures against CETA and wearing a t-shirt with the slogan people before profits.

In an emotional attack on the proposed pact she said: Were just putting ourselves in the hands of multinationals. Were undermining the rule of law and putting our democracy at stake.

CETA is a threat to all of us and I dont understand the liberals, the EPPs (conservatives) and I certainly dont understand the socialist and democrats who are not fighting against an agreement of this type with all the risks it entails.

CETA is a bad agreement. It is just good for multinationals and were not in favour of that were in favour of the choice of millions. People before profit stop CETA.

Employment committee lead Georgie Pirinski was treated with a rapturous reception as he denounced the pact, accusing it of watering down workers rights and helping profiteering investors.

The Bulgarian MEP roared: The committees recommendation to parliament is to decline giving its consent for the conclusion of CETA.

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And Green Bart Staes railed against the pact even whilst having to recommend voting for it on behalf of his committee, which oversees EU food standards.

He said the deal undermines the sovereignty of member states and added: I have concerns about the negative list for public and social services and the undermining of standards.

The Belgian MEP was cheered as he added: The committee did not listen to this despite the protest from millions of citizens and so as rapporteur I have to recommend it on behalf of the committee but personally I will be voting against.

Representatives in favour of the deal sought to exploit the election of Mr Trump, who has struck a protectionist tone, to urge their fellow MEPs to vote through the deal.

Proposing the deal Latvian MEP Artis Pabriks said in the opening speech to the parliament in Strasbourg that today was judgement day for the European project.

He told the house: CETA is a litmus test for our EU policies. We are standing on the cross roads. The first direction is protectionism, decline and building of walls. I dont want this.

The second direction is openness to the world, leadership, effective decision making and the bringing of wealth to our union.

German MEP Manfred Weber launched a withering tirade against Ms Le Pen, raging: Le Pen wants to make France into a huge Albania and not lead it into the future but rather cut it off.

Who can we talk to if not Canada? The big picture is we have Donald Trump. We as Europeans on this day we want to make clear that we dont want to build walls, we want to build bridges and thats why my group will be voting for CETA.

And Tory MEP Syed Kamall said his group will also support the pact, describing it as an opportunity to show the world the EU is open for business.

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'Have you no SHAME?' Le Pen slams Brussels as it faces rebellion over Canada-EU trade deal - Express.co.uk

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Mr Tajani said it is important to defend the rights of European citizens and be serious with Westminster because being a member of the EU cannot be the same as not being a member.

The president said it would be important to work with London in the next stage of the Brexit process.

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He said: The UK will always be a European country, however, not an EU country.

Mr Tajani said in the interview that austerity policies should go besides growth.

He said: I dont believe in austerity policies alone. I think its an error to focus solely on austerity but I do believe that reducing public debt is important.

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We cannot beat the crisis without reducing public debt and undertaking reform, but we also cannot win if policies dont favour growth, industry, SMEs, professional workers, agriculture, trade and also tourism.

Mr Tajani has also urged Spain to take more of a leading role in the European Union policy making in the year that the UK leaves the bloc.

The Italian was elected the 29th president of the European Parliament in January after a new partnership between his centre-right group and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

Mr Tajani said he will discuss Greece in Strasbourg, but he thinks the country should be defended as it is a member of the EU.

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'UK will ALWAYS be a European country' - insists new EU Parliament president Tajani - Express.co.uk

Formula 1 could face an European Parliament investigation

Calls for Formula 1 to be investigated for allegations of anti-competition practices have been backed by the European parliament.

The sports governance and uneven payment structure has come under scrutiny after Force India and Sauber lodged an official complaint to the European Union in 2015.

Both teams feel F1 is operating unfairly citing claims that prize money and bonus payments are distributed unfairly and heavy weighted in favour of the bigger and more successful outfits.

The most high profile is the 105 million ($170.4 million AUD) paid to Ferrari last season as a bonus for being a long standing F1 member and constructor.

Since the official complaints Anneliese Dodds, a UK member of the European Parliament, has pushed for the European Union competitions commission to investigate F1s governance and payment structure.

Last month the parliament issued a report which featured 184 items listed for a possible investigation by the European Commission.

A call for an an immediate investigation into competition concerns arising from the Formula 1 industry has been added to the document, which has since gained overwhelming approval from EU members.

It is understood the recent 467-156 vote in favour of an investigation will increase pressure for the EU to launch a probe.

Im happy that today the European Parliament backed my call for a full and immediate investigation into anti-competitive practices in Formula 1, said Labour MEP Anneliese Dodds.

A few weeks ago Manor Racing became the latest team in the south east of England to collapse after administrators failed to find a buyer.

Smaller teams are unfairly punished by an uncompetitive allocation of prize money that will always give the biggest teams more money, even if they finish last in every race.

The problems in Formula 1 extend well beyond the allocation of prize money, with serious concerns being raised about an agreement with HM Revenue and Customs that allowed the sport to pay an effective two percent tax rate.

Dodds has also noted that the European Union should also investigate the sale of F1 to new owners Liberty Media.

There is also significant conflict of interest over the recent sale of the sport to Liberty Media, after the regulator received a $79.5million (63.7m) profit from authorising the sale, she said.

I have written a number of letters to the European Commission calling for a full investigation and I am grateful that the rest of the European Parliament has added its voice to this call.

We must ensure that we dont lose even more highly skilled jobs in this sector and allow a sport loved by 500m fans to become increasingly less competitive.

If an investigation is lodged and F1 is found guilty of anti-competition practices the European Commission can issue a fine of up to 10 percent of its annual turnover, which equates to 1.35 billion ($2.2 billion AUD).

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European Union supports call for F1 investigation - Speedcafe

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Delegation of the European Union to Georgia - European ...

The EU's founding countries have long portrayed their union of European states as a political, economic and historical success story. But the downside of this merger is all too often ignored - and thisis increasingly endangering its future.

The Maastricht Treaty, the European Union's founding document, turned 25 last week. In the first few years after the treaty was signed, it seemed that no one was able to recognize the European Union's innate defects. However, if those continue to go unaddressed, they could bring about the end of the union. Back then, one of the cardinal sins of the newly formed European Union was its inability to correctly assess the conflicts in Yugoslavia, to exert a moderating influence on the warring parties and to prevent civil wars in the region. Before it even evolved into the EU, the European Community was inconsistent and unconvincing when it came to applying the values it claimed to represent to its dealings with Yugoslavia.

DW's Dragoslav Dedovic

With the treaty, Germany transferred not only its economic power but also its postwar instinct toward nondominance to the EU. Just like West Germany during the Cold War, the newly constituted union of states was an economic giant, but a dwarf in the foreign policy arena.

This dwarf has barely grown in the past quarter century. Occasional therapies have been administered, involving foreign and security policy growth hormones, but all have failed. Thus today, for example, there is no consistent foreign policy line on the Balkans - and the western Balkans are, again, increasingly unstable.

Internally divided

The European Union also lacks the ability to reach a consensus on internal issues. Germany's severity inits austerity dealings with southern EU states on the one hand and, on the other, its generosity toward refugees may accord with Germans' current financial and humanitarian state of mind. For the internal cohesion of the European Union, however, both were poison. Especially as all these decisions were forced through under pressure of events, although each was the end of a long negative development, a period in which there were still alternatives, yet no action was taken.

When Greece was admitted to the eurozone, all the members of the currency club turned a blind eye. So did the whole of the EU when the bloc admitted Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia.

The Dublin Regulation, which states that refugees must remain in the country where they first set foot on EU soil, primarily protects Germany and the rich countries in the north and puts huge pressure on the Mediterranean countries instead. Stubbornly ignoring the looming displacement crisis in the south turned the Mediterranean into a mass grave and Syria's tragedy into a refugee drama that played out across the whole of Europe.

The US's military logic, which was not always in the European Union's interest, resulted in a series of interventions. The consequences of these were not just unimaginable destruction and the collapse of entire states on the edges of the European Union, but also an erosion of solidarity within the EU itself. In many places, solidarity with weaker member states or with refugees seems to have become an alien concept. The consequences of this are Brexit in London, Kaczynski in Warsaw, Orban in Budapest, and Putin, Erdogan and Trump at the gates - none of which makes the situation for the European Union any easier.

Could fall apart

The European Union's current situation is increasingly reminiscent of Yugoslavia's before it disintegrated. The disaster that befell the land of Tito can be summarized as follows: economic crisis plus the continual reduction of its societies to mere communities of descent. All political and economic problems were quickly reinterpreted as ethnic conflicts.

At the time, this seemed in the eyes of international observers to be a kind of atavism - a regrettable deviation from the mainstream of historical progress. Unfortunately, 25 years later we are forced to realize that the disintegration of Yugoslavia was obviously the start, not the end, of a development.

It seems that the elites have spectacularly underestimated people's fears. Today, even in the capitals of Western Europe, nationalism has become socially acceptable again. It almost happened in Vienna. The Hague and Paris may soon be next. It's worth noting that, to date, the Western countries that were victorious over National Socialism seem to lack the requisite social antibodies to protect them against nativist ideologies in modern disguise - they haven't developed as many as Germany, the country where the evil originated and was defeated more than 70 years ago.

The formula for salvation is very simple, however: Outwardly present a united community of shared values and show solidarity internally. It is better to make investments ahead of time than to attempt interventions later - and far less costly. But it must be done in good time. It almost doesn't matter whether leaders dig up the failed EU constitution of 2005 or reconsider the model of a core Europe. What's far more crucial is that either a consensus is reached on competence to act on foreign policy issues, solidarity among member states, and reliable joint budget management, or the European Union, in its current form, will perish. The clock is ticking.

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Opinion: We can still stop the Balkanization of the EU - Deutsche Welle