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Canada-EU talks - Trade Justice Network in Brussels

CETA aims to extend the scope of investor rights far deeper than the exchange of goods and services.

Larry Brown, national secretary-treasurer of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)OTTAWA (12 July 2010) – Members of the Trade Justice Network, a network of Canadian environmental, labour and civil society organizations, will travel to Brussels next week for the fourth round of Canada-EU negotiations toward what is being called a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The group will meet with EU political parties to discuss its concerns with the deal and why the negotiations should be shelved.

CETA aims to extend the scope of investor rights far deeper than the exchange of goods and services and into the realm of government policy-making, regulation, public services and procurement at the federal, provincial and territorial and local levels.

In a joint civil society declaration released by 24 organizations during the last round of CETA talks in Ottawa, April 19-23, the Trade justice network said: “These agreements go out of their way to protect investors from essential regulations and to lock-in unsustainable trading patterns. A fundamental policy shift is needed in Canada and Europe that places environmental, public health and human rights concerns above the limited interests of corporations.”

On April 19, the Trade Justice Network released a leaked copy of the official CETA text which is available, along with the civil society declaration and other information about CETA, at the website http://tradejustice.ca. The network delegation to Brussels will be posting regular updates to this website and on Twitter. People are encouraged to follow along @TJN_RCJ.

WHO: Trade Justice Network member organizations that will be in Brussels July 12 to 16:

  • National Union of Public and General Employees (Larry Brown, national secretary-treasurer).
  • Council of Canadians (Brent Patterson, director of campaigns, Stuart Trew, trade campaigner, and Meera Karunananthan, national water campaigner).
  • ATTAC-Québec (Claude Vaillancourt, co-president, and Catherine Caron, board member).
  • The network will be accompanied in Brussels by Scott Sinclair, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (not a member organization).

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE

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