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The Council of Canadians' trade campaign is dedicated to the concept of trade justice, by which we mean a trade regime designed by and for people -- not corporations. We oppose all free trade regimes designed to increase the power of corporations at the expense of social, environmental and economically sustainable development. These have included NAFTA and the WTO, the failed Free Trade Area of the Americas and Multilateral Agreement on Investment, and the recent explosion of Canadian bilateral trade agreements with developing countries and, importantly, the European Union.
We are working for trade policy reform in Canada. Our demands include full transparency in trade negotiations, the enforcement of environmental and human rights protections, the strengthening of local and national environmental, economic and social policy, and full accountability for the activities of multinational corporations operating abroad.
On May 14, Environmental, civil society and labour organizations sent a joint amicus curiae (friend of the court) submission to the WTO supporting Canada’s defence of the Ontario Green Energy Act. The landmark 2009 renewable energy and climate change policy is being attacked at the WTO by Japan and the European Union who claim that it involves illegal (under WTO rules) subsidies to local producers of wind and solar equipment and services. The first hearing into the case, which pits climate change and trade liberalization obligations against each other, took place in Geneva in March 2012. A second was set for May 15 and 16. Read more »
The Council of Canadians and Canadian Union of Public Employees have released a briefing note on recently leaked documents related to ongoing Canada-European Union free trade negotiations. The documents show that Canada and the provinces have failed to protect drinking water and wastewater services from trade rules that would encourage and lock in privatization.
Toronto councillors and community groups hauled a giant Trojan Horse in front of City Hall this morning to warn about the hidden dangers in a proposed Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) a day ahead of an executive committee meeting that will consider whether the city should be excluded altogether from the deal. Read media release »
Canada's municipalities deserve a say in the CETA negotiations. A growing number of municipalities, school boards and municipal associations have raised concerns about CETA’s procurement chapter. Most of them want to see the municipal sector excluded entirely from the deal. In total, more than 30 cities, towns, school boards and municipal associations in eight provinces have passed resolutions on CETA.
Campaigners gathered in Brussels at the start of the latest round of Canada-EU free trade negotiations from July 11-15, 2011 to call for the talks to be put on hold due to concerns that they will boost Europe’s involvement in Canada’s destructive tar sands industry.
On Thursday, July 14, Canadian and European Union trade negotiators, in Brussels for an 8th round of Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) talks, exchanged initial offers on government procurement and goods. Though delayed several times before now, the Harper government hailed the exchange as an important step in the ongoing closed-doors CETA negotiations. At the same time, his government and the provinces refuse to make the offers public, despite the big impact they will have on the economic and social policy options of our communities.
TAKE ACTION
Demand your province or territory make its CETA procurement and goods offers public, and that it hold a public debate on what is at stake in the Canada-EU free trade negotiations. For more information about how CETA will affect the provinces and territories and to take action, click here.
NEW REPORT: Public water for sale: How Canada will privatize our public water systems
Warns that public water in Canada will be lost unless the provinces and territories take immediate steps to remove water from the scope of the proposed Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). This report by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Council of Canadians exposes how CETA would open up public municipal water systems across Canada to privatization.
BRIEFING: Keep Europe Out of the Tar Sands-Stop the Tar Sands Free Trade Talks Trading with a climate criminal - Canada’s tar sands are attracting global concern and criticism. The tar sands have become one of the last frontiers for “Big Oil,” including major European multinationals BP, Total and Shell. The unfolding social and environmental disaster in Alberta demands urgent action, including the respect of Indigenous rights, stronger regulations on carbon emissions, water use and contamination, and more. Yet the proposed Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), if completed as planned, threatens to undermine stricter tar sands regulations in Canada and stronger climate policies in Europe. Published by The Council of Canadians, Friends of the Earth Europe, Indigenous Environmental Network, UK Tar Sands Network, January 2011.
Canadian Perspectives, our in-depth membership magazine, reports on the work of the Council and explores the important political developments affecting Canadians and the world around us. Articles written by a wide range of leading thinkers make Canadian Perspectives a valuable activist resource.
VIDEO: Free Trade With E.U. Concerns
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow speaking on the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in Guelph, Ontario on January 26, 2011
Learn why Nafta Saurus loves NAFTA so much; and why 61% of Canadians agree that NAFTA should be renegotiated to include enforceable labour and environmental standards
