The Canadian Press reports, “Mayors in Atlantic Canada say they want to participate in ongoing free trade negotiations between the federal government and the European Union. The mayors, who are holding their regular meeting in Halifax, say municipalities have been shut out of talks and want to be included in future discussions on the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement.”
“Mayor Clifford Lee of Charlottetown says municipal leaders are concerned that trade agreements could conflict with long-standing domestic procurement policies. Lee says water and the services connected to it should not be considered within the agreements.”
This past February, Council of Canadians trade campaigner Stuart Trew wrote, “(In the Canada-EU talks) the EU (felt) it necessary in its services and investment offers to seek a broad exemption for drinking water and sanitation services — an exemption Canada is not seeking. The discrepancy remains unexplained. Canadian governments and negotiators have for years assured us that water for human use is not covered in Canada’s existing commitments. Now the tune has changed — it’s there and it’s not a big deal! In fact, it would be very easy for Canada to reciprocate the EU request to exempt water. The fact we are not doing so is still a kind of welcome mat for European private investment in water services. The novelty will be in CETA’s investor-state dispute process which will give water firms new tools with which to frustrate municipal governments looking to remunicipalize or create new water monopolies in the future.”
More work will need to be done to raise awareness on this issue. A June 2011 Environics Research Group poll conducted for CUPE found that just 52 per cent of Canadians oppose the opening up of water and waste treatment to companies in Europe, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=9485.
The Canadian Press article notes, “The mayors have asked the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to raise their concerns with Ottawa.” To date, more than 50 municipalities have passed resolutions calling for an exemption from CETA or just expressing concern with the implications of the deal.
It is expected that CETA will be signed in late-August, at a signing ceremony somewhere in Canada, so this municipal opposition comes at a critical time. This will then be followed by a 12-18 month period when it will need to be ratified by the Canadian Parliament, the European Parliament, and European national governments.
For the latest on the campaign encouraging municipalities to call for an exemption from CETA, see Stuart’s blog from today, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=14616.
