Next week, Canada and the European Union will begin a third round of negotiations over the Canada European Union Trade Agreement (CETA).
This would be the largest, most intrusive free trade deal that Canada has ever entered into, and negotiations are progressing quickly, with little public scrutiny. If ratified, the agreement could seriously impact public services, labour rights, environmental policy, culture, economic development, food policy, water services and more.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, CUPE National President Paul Moist has asked the government to immediately halt negotiations until broader consultation with all Canadian stakeholders has occurred.
CUPE has also asked that the draft texts of the proposed agreement be made public, so that all Canadians know what services, institutions and rights our government is prepared to put at risk.
To help shed light on the risks involved under CETA, the Trade Justice Network has invited three people from the trade justice movement in Europe to speak at public events in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto from April 19 to 21.
• Gérard Choplin, coordinator with Via Campesina Europe, will speak about the effects of trade liberalization on food, farming and seeds.
• Frédéric Viale with Attac-France will describe Europe’s trade agenda and how aggressively the European Commission pursues public policy changes abroad through free trade deals.
• Rolv Hanssen of Public Services International will speak about the privatization agenda of European service corporations and the Canada-EU union resistance to the current free trade negotiations.
Please attend one of the following free public events:
Ottawa: Monday, April 19, 7 p.m.
Saint Paul University Amphitheatre, 223 Main Street (side-door off parking lot)
Montreal: Tuesday, April 20, 7 p.m.
Pavillon Athanase-David de l’UQAM, local D-R200, 1430, rue Saint-Denis (angle Maisonneuve, métro Berri-UQAM)
Toronto: Wednesday, April 21, 7 p.m.
University of Toronto, International Student Centre (Cumberland Room), 33 St. George Street (just north of College)
The Trade Justice Network is a group of environmental, labour, cultural and other organizations that have come together to challenge the corporate priorities and secretive negotiating process of the proposed Canada-EU free trade agreement.