EU, Canada Put Faith in Trade

(The Toronto Star – Roy MacLaren)

Amid the ups and downs in news about global economic recession and recovery – in Canada’s case notably up – comes the good news of progress by the European Union and Canada in negotiating a “Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.”

The pending agreement goes well beyond the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement and NAFTA. At the beginning of last year, both sides launched the negotiations by putting everything on the table, tariffs and non-tariff barriers alike.

In addition to removing all remaining tariffs, the new agreement will take into account a wide diversity of influences on trade. These will include the free movement of skilled workers; the opening up of procurement at all levels of government; the harmonization or elimination of a range of regulations that are especially noxious forms of protectionism, particularly in agriculture; environmental enhancement – everything that can either facilitate or obstruct transatlantic trade and investment. Read more here.