There is a growing list of tensions emerging between the European Union and Canada that could serve to hamper the continuing talks for a Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
These are:
1-The Harper government’s support for the ‘harvesting’ and export of seal products, http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=4392.
2- The support (and subsidies) for Canadian exports of cancer-causing asbestos by both the Harper and Charest governments, http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=4462.
3-Immigration minister Jason Kenney’s attendance at an ‘anti-Roma’ summit in Paris, http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=4506.
4-Health Canada’s inaction on the labelling of foods with dangerous food dyes, http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=4510.
5-Canada’s concerns about a European Union proposal to allow member states to decide whether or not to ban genetically modified crops, http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=4416.
There are also ongoing concerns about:
6-Canada’s opposition to a stricter EU fuel quality directive that would impact on European imports of tar sands gasoline, http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=4260.
7-Canada’s continued opposition to the right to water while the European Union has recognized human rights obligations related to water, and Belgium, Hungary, Italy and Spain voted in favour of the right to water at the United Nations (though several European Union countries did abstain at the critical July 28 vote), http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=3334.
Harper has said he will not allow tensions with the EU over the seal hunt to ‘contaminate’ a potential trade deal with the EU. It will be interesting to see if these other tensions do serve to ‘contaminate’ CETA.
