A high court in Germany has nixed calls from opponents of a Canada-European Union trade deal for an injunction that could have spelled an end to the pact.
The Federal constitutional Court ruled Thursday against complaints over the trade deal, known as CETA. Tens of thousands of citizens joined in two of those complaints.
The plaintiffs wanted the government to be forced to vote against approving the accord at an EU meeting set for Tuesday, pending full consideration by the court of their contention that it violates the principles of democracy.
Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, also Germany's economy minister, had warned putting off CETA's signing could effectively short-circuit the accord.
The judges attached some conditions to their decision designed to help address the plaintiffs' concerns.
Approval of the pact by EU trade ministers at their meeting next week is needed for a planned Canada-EU summit to take place later in the month where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his EU counterparts are expected to sign the deal, with ratification set for some time next year.
International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland has called the Canada-EU treaty a gold-plated deal that, once ratified, will give Canada better access to a market of more than 400 million people
