The deal eliminates almost all tariffs and increases quotas on certain key products in Canada’s and EU’s respective markets. (Photo: The Canadian Press)

BERLIN — German lawmakers on Thursday approved a free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada, bringing it closer to its full entry into force.

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union (EU) was signed in late 2016. Most of its provisions have been provisionally implemented since 2017, but the parliaments of the EU’s 27 member countries must ratify the agreement for it to take full effect.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition pushed ahead with ratification after Germany’s highest court dismissed lawsuits against CETA, at least in its current form, in March.

The vote ended with 559 votes in favor of the deal to 110.

Eleven other EU countries still have to ratify the agreement, Verena Hubertz, member of the centre-left Social Democrats OIaf Scholz, reminded the Bundestag before the vote.

“We’re now optimistic that we’re moving forward, that others will follow very quickly,” she said. Of course ? It’s way too long and way too slow in a fast-paced globalized world.”

Verena Hubertz said Germany should await the court’s ruling, adding that concerns about the details of a dispute settlement mechanism built into the deal have been allayed. The conservative opposition argued that little or nothing had really changed and accused the centre-left party of delaying ratification on ideological grounds.

The deal eliminates almost all tariffs and increases quotas on certain key products in Canada’s and EU’s respective markets. The EU said the deal would save its companies about 600 million euros ($847 million) in tariffs annually.