The European Commission and Germany have agreed on what they describe as a draft text clarifying some aspects of the trade deal agreed between the EU and Canada.

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has yet to be ratified by a number of EU member states – including Germany and Ireland.

A statement from the commission said that it had taken part in “constructive discussions” with the German government to prepare a text that clarified certain provisions in CETA.

It stated that the talks had produced a “more precise” definition of the concepts of ‘indirect expropriation' and ‘fair and equitable treatment' of investors.

The plan to set up investor courts, which would settle disputes between investors and governments. has triggered particularly strong opposition among in some EU countries.

Call for support

“The aim is to ensure that the parties can regulate in the framework of climate, energy and health policies, inter alia, to achieve legitimate public objectives, while at the same time preventing the misuse of the investor-to-state dispute-settlement mechanism by investors,” the commission said.

The EU body called on all other member states to support the new text, as it provided “legal certainty”.

An Oireachtas vote on ratifying the deal, scheduled for late last year, was postponed amid opposition from some Green Party TDs.

One of the party’s TDs, Patrick Costello, has taken a Supreme Court challenge to the constitutionality of the ratification process, with a judgment expected in the autumn.