MEP: Liberal Canadian government is partner for new trade agreement

Member of the European Parliament Marietje Schaake (ALDE/D66) will travel to Canada next week with a delegation of the European Parliament, where she will discuss the new trade deal between the EU and Canada. Schaake: "Canada is a crucial trading partner for the EU and under the new progressive government, it is an important ally to strengthen our values in a rapidly changing world and to reinforce the international rules-based system. This agreement will improve the economic cooperation between the two parties." Ratification Before the treaty can enter into force, it must be signed by the Canadian government and ratified by the Parliaments on both sides. Schaake: "In Canada, we will be meeting the Trade Minister of the new liberal government, Chrystia Freeland. She and Trade Commissioner Malmström must make sure that the agreement is rapidly implemented, so that the positive effects of it will be felt. Important results have been reached in the area of tariff reduction and opening the Canadian public procurement market, which is currently very closed for European companies." Investment protection In the discussion about CETA, investment protection was originally a bottleneck. But the EU and Canada have chosen for fundamental reform. Schaake: "Under the Trudeau government, Canada has given far reaching concessions to the EU to reform investment protection within CETA, to make it more transparent, fair and legitimate. We do not want secret courts that allow companies to challenge European rules. The biggest problem is that European member states still have 1,300 agreements with the outdated ISDS in them. These also need to be reformed. Together with the Canadians and other international players we must work towards an international court, building on the model of the World Trade Organisation. CETA is a step in that direction." Attached you can find the programme of the delegation. Programme INTA delegation to Canada