On Monday afternoon we met with provincial negotiators from Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia at the European Management Centre, a non-descript office building in Brussels where the CETA negotiations are taking place. We raised with them:
1- our concerns with how a NAFTA Chapter 11-like investor-state provision in CETA could be used to challenge government policies in the public interest, notably environmental policies, see http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=3233 and http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=305;
2- our opposition to water and sanitation services being included in the ‘offers’ round of talks scheduled for this April 11-15 in Ottawa, see http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=5761 and http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=5828;
3- the intellectual property right provisions being sought by the European Union and how that would dramatically increase provincial costs for pharmaceutical drugs, see http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=5084;
4- our concern about EU opposition to the Ontario Green Energy Act, see http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=4790 and http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=4541;
5- the media reports on positions being taken by provincial governments during the CETA negotiations, see http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=5939 and http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=3181.
Given the importance placed on the participation of provinces in the CETA negotiations, it may be that these issues will also need to be significantly raised in the five upcoming provincial elections this fall – in Prince Edward Island on October 3, Manitoba on October 4, Ontario on October 6, Newfoundland and Labrador on October 11, and Saskatchewan on November 7.
Brent Patterson, Director of Campaigns and Communications, Council of Canadians
www.canadians.org/ceta
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