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That was supposed to mark the end of the negotiation stage, with ratification by all participants expected to be completed and the deal implemented early in 2016. But lingering concerns remain among some European officials, most vocally from Germany’s Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who has expressed some concerns over the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clause that would allow foreign companies to challenge domestic rules in independent tribunals.

“Raising certain issues doesn’t mean that there’s opposition to the concept, to the idea, even to the wording of the text,” Mr. Wnendt said. “I’m very confident that we can sort this out. This, in no way, endangers the CETA agreement.”

Asked whether one or more EU members could be excluded from clauses in CETA, such as the ISDS provision, the ambassador replied: “No, there is no opt-out.”

“Of course, you have to take the concerns of your own citizens seriously. And that is what we have seen in recent days and weeks, and that has been reported as Germany is not, well, supporting the CETA agreement, which is absolutely wrong,” he said.

“Germany is very supportive to this agreement [and] was from the very, very beginning. We think this is the right thing to do. It’s an excellent agreement. It’s a very comprehensive one.”

Mr. Wnendt, as Germany’s top representative in Canada, has found himself at the centre of the CETA-ISDS debate. It is an issue that has also taken on broader implications for the EU, which is two years into negotiations for a similar agreement with the United States, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).