Why are French environmentalists and farmers uniting against the EU’s trade deal with Canada?

Politics Explained: Campaigners are concerned about the agreement’s impact on climate change

Protests against Ceta were staged in Paris on Tuesday (AFP/Getty)

EU trade agreements are always controversial, and the “Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement” – the huge EU-Canada trade deal more commonly known as Ceta – is no exception. National parliaments have to vote to ratify such treaties, and the concessions negotiators make at the EU level may not always be approved of at a national level.

The deal removed tariffs on 98 per cent of goods and services between Canada and the EU, eliminating €​590m (£530m) in customs duties.

The deal took seven years to negotiate and was ratified by the European parliament in February 2017.