Exposé CETA

&CETA

First of all, it is at the centre of the agreement the fact that CETA abolishes customs duties on 99% of products traded between the two zones and extends certain services to competition, while bringing regulation in several sectors closer together. This will enable Canadian and European companies to participate in each other's public, service and investment procurement contracts and strengthen Canada-EU cooperation in standards and regulation.

For example, customs duties on forest products will be reduced, it also abolishes customs duties on manufactured products, and on customs duties on mining and metal products such as aluminium and its derivatives.

There are, however, exceptions for certain products for which the elimination of customs duties is gradual over 3,5 or 7 years, such as the automotive sector, certain seafood products and some agricultural products. In addition, certain products are not concerned such as poultrymeat and eggs which are excluded from the agreement in both directions.

While there are many opponents of the agreement, as we have seen, there are also supporters and personalities who are in favour of the treaties.  

There are also many other benefits at the heart of the agreement:

• Contributing to growth and jobs in Europe
• Establish a level playing field in Canada for European companies, regardless of their size.
• Lower prices and offer more choice to European consumers
• Reduce tariffs for exporters and importers
• Reduce other costs for European companies without sacrificing our standards
• Allowing European companies to sell services more easily in Canada
• Allowing European companies to bid on Canadian public contracts
• Helping rural communities in Europe to market their local gastronomic specialities and beverages
• Protecting European innovators and artists
• Enabling the mutual recognition of professional qualifications
• Encouraging Canadian companies to invest more in Europe
• Protecting people's rights at work and the environment

Moreover, Corentin de Salle, specialist in law theory and scientific director of the Jean Gol Centre, the study centre of the French-speaking Belgian political party Mouvement Réformateur, adopts a positive vision of this agreement and of the agreements with the two North American countries in general. According to him, the development of trade has "always coincided with civilization and progress" while the opposite would coincide with "violence, war and economic, social and cultural setback". Specifically, he points to a "misinformation campaign orchestrated by opponents of the transatlantic treaties."

The other point of the agreement that is being criticised is the arbitral tribunals which, according to the opponents, would allow companies to attack legislation that goes against their interests, which would lead to a lowering of the level of health, labour and environmental standards. On this point, he recalls that international treaties almost always include this type of arbitral tribunal in order to settle disputes between the parties and that this system is old. In the case of the CETA, it considers that the investment protection system would be all the more independent if it were to come from the public judicial system and provides for the appointment of qualified judges by the public authorities and an appeal procedure. It states that these courts cannot interfere with national laws and jurisdictions whose courts remain sovereign.  The "Joint Statement of Interpretation" signed in the summer of 2016 confirms that the dispute settlement mechanism adopted under the FCSR "limits the possibility for private investors to challenge national jurisdictions on environmental and other matters".

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