MEPs are set to vote on whether to ratify a free trade pact, known as CETA, between the European Union and Canada.
MEPs are set to vote on whether to ratify a free trade pact, known as CETA, between the European Union and Canada.
The landmark deal was seven years in the making; its goal is boost trade in goods and services and investment between the EU and Canada.
But it needs the approval of the European Parliament before it can enter into force.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau will address parliamentarians on Thursday.
The EU and Canada signed CETA on 30 October 2016, but only after Belgian regional parliament of Wallonia gave its last minute backing.
If MEPs approve the deal, it could apply provisionally from as early as April 2017.
But it will also need to be ratified by national and regional parliaments before fully entering into force.