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Jose Manuel Barroso

Wednesday July 30, 2014

July 30, 2014 by Graeme MacKay

Wednesday July 30, 2014Wednesday July 30, 2014

Germans concerned about CETA investor protection rules: Ambassador

Germany is concerned about the hotly-disputed investor protection measures in Canada-European trade talks, German Ambassador Werner Wnendt says, but adds it’s not likely to derail the five-year-old negotiations.

Wnendt said a German newspaper report that Berlin would not sign a Canada-EU pact containing an investor protection clause was premature and “is not the position of the German government.”

Monday, October 21, 2013“This is much too early at this point in time to say that because we still wait for the treaty as such as it’s been negotiated between the (European) Commission and the Canadian government,” he told CBC-TV Monday. “We haven’t seen the final proposal.”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a tentative free-trade deal with the EU last October, but talks have yet to wrap up. Canada is hoping the next major hurdle in the negotiations can be cleared by September, with the two sides initialing a ready-to-be-approved agreement.

But rising European concerns about an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism in the Canada-EU deal could put its eventual ratification in doubt.
The Canadian government is silent on the details of the talks, but business sources say the issue of how to resolve disputes between foreign corporations and governments under a future pact is the last outstanding element in the negotiations.

ISDS provisions allow multinational corporations that believe they are being treated unfairly to sue a government before a special tribunal rather than the normal court system. While business says such measures ensure investor security, opponents say they allow corporations to thwart government attempts to regulate on behalf of the public.

“There are concerns among Germans that such a clause may mean that eventually legislation will have to be changed in Germany and other European countries,” Wnendt said. “It is something that needs to be taken seriously by the government, of course, and that’s being discussed.” He said it will need to be addressed by the European Commission and the European people once the ready-to-be-approved agreement is signed.

NoEhHe noted that Germany believes special tribunals to adjudicate investor-state disputes are unnecessary in countries like Canada and those in Europe where the regular court systems are capable of handling such legal conflicts.

The Canadian government has dismissed the notion that ISDS issues might hold up the Canada-EU negotiations. “Excellent progress” is being made in the talks, a government spokesperson said.

But initialing the deal in September would be only one step in an approval process that could last another 18 months or longer. Besides being ratified in Ottawa, the Canada-EU pact, officially known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), will have to win final approval from the European Parliament, each of the 28 member states of the EU and the European Council, which brings together the heads of the 28 states and the European Commission president. (Source: Toronto Star)

Posted in: Canada, International Tagged: Angela Merkel, Canada, Canada-EU, CETA, Editorial Cartoon, EU, Europe, Germany, Jose Manuel Barroso, Trade

Saturday, October 19, 2013

October 18, 2013 by Graeme MacKay

Monday, October 21, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, October 19, 2013

Canada-Europe free trade deal concluded, ratification two years off

Canada and the European Union have agreed to free the movement of goods, services, investment and labour with a pact-in-principle that challenges Canadian business to expand overseas.

“This is a big deal; this is the biggest deal Canada has ever made. Indeed, it is a historical achievement,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The prime minister announced the agreement-in-principle Friday with European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso in Brussels.

But the text of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement or CETA remains a confidential document that still requires “drafting and fine tuning,” a Canadian official said in Brussels on condition he not be identified.

It could be another 18 to 24 months before final European approval is given, and Canada will likely proceed along a similar time frame, officials say.

Ottawa instead released a 44-page overview and other summary documents. The material is largely silent on what Canada had to cede to Europe, especially in sectors such as dairy and patent protection for pharmaceuticals.

The dairy sector’s farmers immediately accused the government of a “giveaway,” and the generic drug industry warned that health-care costs will rise.

Harper addressed their concerns head on, acknowledging there might be some pain. But he defended the deal as “excellent” for Canada in the long-term, and one that would be good for families looking for cheaper products and business seeking new opportunities in a huge market. (Source: CTV News)

Posted in: Canada Tagged: CETA, Editorial Cartoon, EU, European Union, Jose Manuel Barroso, NAFTA, Stephen Harper, Trade, trade deal

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