Strasbourg, 16/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada are gathering pace and may come to an end within a year.
After their meeting on Wednesday 15 December in Ottawa, Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Canadian Trade Minister Peter Van Loan said they were pleased at the “significant progress” made in talks on a bilateral EU-Canada free trade agreement, initiated in October 2009. As things stand, after five rounds of talks, the two men are confident it will be possible to finalise the talks within a year, at the end of 2011.
“As we enter the final stage (of talks), the time has come to step up our effort to reach our common goal - a good deal”, the trade commissioner commented. De Gucht and Van Loan pointed out that the CETA could generate a rise in bilateral trade by way of €20 billion annually, thanks to price liberalisation on goods, liberalisation of the trade in services, and the suppression of non-tariff barriers. Canadian provinces and territories, which are potentially important players in such developments, are involved in the talks.
Among the tricky issues to be settled, Van Loan noted questions relating to shipyards and supply management. On the European side, De Gucht explained that geographical indications have still to be negotiated. On the European embargo on seal products, the commissioner simply acknowledged the fact that this was a sensitive issue which has a cultural element to it. He then went on to say that WTO consultation on this issue is under preparation.
The sixth round of CETA talks is scheduled from 17 to 21 January in Brussels. (E.H./transl.jl)