LETTER: Celebrating CETA except . . .

[Oscar]

Celebrating CETA except . . .

Published in Wadena News November 7, 2016

Canada and the European Union began negotiating the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2009. In September 2014, without public consultations, it was signed, and Canadians and Europeans finally saw the secret official text – an affront to democracy. Better understood as a way to further deregulate and privatize the Canadian economy while increasing corporate power, it undermines Canadian and European efforts to address the climate crisis.

CETA would also restrict local governments passing “buy local” policies, dramatically raise the price of pharmaceutical drugs, open up privatization of local water systems, transit and energy, and much more.

More than 3.5 million Europeans have signed a petition against CETA; 320,000 people marched against CETA in cities across Germany; polling shows 88 per cent of Austrians oppose CETA because it shifts power to transnational corporations; 81 per cent of people in France said they believed CETA would undermine standards protecting health, food quality, the environment and the climate. Several other EU member state governments have concerns about CETA yet to be dealt with.

Last week, Wallonia, a small Belgian region, voted against CETA largely over concerns that its farmers would be adversely affected. Paul Magnette, minister-president of the region, stated, "We have clearly indicated, for more than a year, that we have a real difficulty with the arbitration mechanism, which could be used by multinationals based in Canada, that are not really Canadian companies, and on this point we find the proposals insufficient." He rejects artificial deadlines to reach agreement. Wallonia has the constitutional right to refuse to agree to CETA and corporate globalization that gives transnationals immense power over the state.

In recent days, Council of Canadians chairperson, Maude Barlow, stated, "There is no way to meet the demands of the millions in Europe opposed to CETA without opening the deal itself. Wallonia's courageous stand will send our governments back to the drawing board, hopefully to think about a very different kind of trade agreement based on the values of sustainability and justice."

Prime Minister Trudeau is packed and ready to head for Brussels where, unless citizens exert their democratic power, CETA will be ratified and become law.

Stay tuned . . .


Elaine Hughes
Quill Plains (Wynyard) Chapter
Council of Canadians
Archerwill, SK