More than 100 French left-wing lawmakers have decided to appeal to the country's Constitutional Council to block a contentious free trade deal between the European Union and Canada.<br/><br/>Supporters of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) say it will boost economic growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. But opponents say it will lead to a race to the bottom in labour and environmental standards and allow multinational corporations to dictate public policy. <br/><br/>In a statement, 106 members of France's National Assembly said the accord implied a transfer of sovereignty by signatory countries beyond what they agreed upon in favour of the EU. European Parliament lawmakers backed the CETA by a comfortable majority last week, meaning that large parts of the deal, notably tariff reduction, will finally enter into force some eight years after negotiations began.