The Council of Canadians and Canadian Union of Public Employees are releasing a briefing note on recently leaked documents related to ongoing Canada-European Union trade negotiations.
The documents show that Canada and the provinces have failed to protect drinking water and wastewater services from trade rules that, in the current context, would encourage and lock in privatization. Harper’s message to the EU, say the organizations, is that Canada’s public water will be available for corporations to use to make a profit.
The documents, made public yesterday by the Quebec Network on Continental Integration (RQIC) and the Trade Justice Network, show Canada’s initial services and investment offers to the EU in ongoing Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations. They list policy areas or sectors that the Canadian government wants excluded from the restrictions, on policy and regulation that will be imposed by this trade agreement. Water services are not on the list, which means they are automatically included in the deal.
