(11 May 2016) The controversial trade deal that has been negotiated between the European Union and Canada, also known as Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), may soon be upon us. This Friday 13 May the EU Foreign Affairs Council will meet to discuss the agreement, with a view to signing it at a summit in October this year.
EPSU has long been vocal about the dangers CETA could pose for workers’ rights, public services and democracy as a whole. Unfortunately, with the finer details of the agreement now supposedly finalised, it is clear that our calls for better protections in CETA have not been met. Despite the European Commission’s attempts to bat away these concerns, CETA is not a good deal for Europe. Moreover, it will set a worrying precedent for future trade deals, including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States. EPSU calls for its outright rejection by European politicians.
Our concerns can be summarised as follows:
- The inclusion of public services in CETA;
- CETA’s “negative list” approach for services commitments and the inclusion of “standstill” and “ratchet” mechanisms that lock-in liberalisation;
- CETA’s restrictions on universal service obligations in public utilities;
- CETA’s far-reaching investment protection provisions;
- CETA’s weak provisions for human rights, including workers’ rights.
A more detailed breakdown of these concerns can be found in an attachment to this article.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), of which EPSU is a member, has furthermore sent a letter to the chair of the EU Trade Council, Minister Ploumen, in advance of Friday’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting. The letter outlines the ongoing concerns of trade unions on both sides of the Atlantic regarding CETA – in particular its lack of adequate protections for public services, labour standards and democratic decision-making. A copy of this letter, as well as a joint declaration on the agreement from ETUC and the Canadian Labour Congress, can be found attached to this article.
EPSU will continue efforts to prevent this bad deal from going through, on behalf of our members and for the protection of quality public services as a whole. We encourage our affiliates to join us in this endeavour by lobbying national trade ministers on this issue around 13 May.
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- EPSU calls for the rejection of CETA because it’s a bad deal for citizens EN
- EPSU calls for the rejection of CETA because it’s a bad deal for citizens FR
- EPSU calls for the rejection of CETA because it’s a bad deal for citizens DE
- EPSU calls for the rejection of CETA because it’s a bad deal for citizens ES
- EPSU calls for the rejection of CETA because it’s a bad deal for citizens SV
- EPSU calls for the rejection of CETA because it’s a bad deal for citizens RU
- ETUC & Canadian Labour Congress Joint statement on changes needed to CETA
- ETUC letter to the EU Trade Council Chair Minister Ploumen
