Columnist Paul Wells writes in this week’s issue of Maclean’s magazine (which has a weekly circulation of about 350,000 readers) that, “the (Canada-EU) negotiations involve way more than simply lowering customs tariffs, which is why the Europeans are exasperated that Canadians keep calling this a ‘free trade’ deal. ‘This is so much more than free trade,’ Anya Oram, the European Commission’s head of economic and commercial affairs in Ottawa, told me. But in Canada ever since the 1988 election, ‘free trade’ has been a handy synonym for ‘big deal,’ and this is certainly that. These negotiations will touch on trade in services, investment, government procurement rules, mutual recognition of professional credential and more.”
Wells writes, “The Council of Canadians is already ringing alarm bells, calling the deal ‘NAFTA-plus with Europe.’ The council’s Stuart Trew says the Canada-EU negotiations ‘could fundamentally change the way the Canadian economy works and our local communities govern themselves, more than any previous trade agreement, including NAFTA.’ He’s not wrong. The only question is whether it’s a bad thing.”
Wells adds, “Since barriers to trade are already low in a lot of ways, ‘what’s left is the most sensitive,’ Oram said. Topics like supply management and the Canadian Wheat board, the baroque mechanisms by which Canada protects domestic agricultural production and prices. Municipal procurement, which would allow German and French manufacturers to bid on subway contracts in Toronto and Vancouver on the same basis as local manufacturers. Securities regulations.”
He concludes, “Trade liberalization with Europe will be a powerful force for removing the barriers between provinces, which in many cases are higher…No wonder the fans and foes of liberalized trade are lining up. This is big.
The article is not yet available on-line, but we will post it when it does become available.
Our media release ‘Consult widely on NAFTA-plus with Europe, demands Council of Canadians’ can be read at http://canadians.org/media/trade/2009/28-Apr-09.html.
