(VOVworld) - Talks aimed at establishing a free trade deal between Canada and the EU are reported to have failed.

Canada's trade minister Chrystia Freeland said the talks had broken down (Photo: Reuters)

Canada's trade minister Chrystia Freeland announced the intense talks had broken down as she walked out of meetings with EU leaders in Belgium. Freeland said despite efforts, parties involved didn’t reach a consensus. As scheduled, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was supposed to be signed next Thursday in Brussels during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit. But legislators of the Belgian region of Wallonia vetoed against the signing of the CETA. Belgium cannot approve the deal without support from five sub-federal administrations, and French-speaking Wallonia has steadfastly opposed it.