Germany's Constitutional Court has rejected a legal challenge to the EU-Canada free trade deal (CETA) from campaigners who call it undemocratic.
The campaigners object to the fact that parts of CETA will be implemented before all national parliaments in the EU have voted on it.
EU trade ministers are to vote on CETA next week. It requires unanimous support. If they all approve it, the deal can be signed on 27 October.
CETA would remove many trade barriers.
More than 125,000 people signed a petition organised by three activist groups aimed at blocking CETA, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. The groups are Compact,Foodwatch and More Democracy.
Opponents fear that CETA will be used as a model to push through an even more controversial EU-US trade deal called TTIP, much of which remains to be negotiated.
The activists argue that CETA and similar deals put job security and social welfare at risk, in a global "race to the bottom" that serves the interests of a wealthy elite.
German Economy Minister and Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has battled to win his Social Democrats (SPD) round to CETA. The SPD is in government with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), who strongly support CETA.
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