In a letter to members of the European Parliament on Wednesday 11 January, the Alliance for Competitive European industry (ACEI) expressed the EU manufacturing industry's "strong support" for the EU-Canada free trade agreement (CETA) that was signed on 30 October 2016 and that the European Parliament is asked to ratify on 2 February, according to the timetable set, with a view to CETA's provisional implementation.
"CETA will strengthen the trade and investment relations between two of the world’s most advanced economies and like-minded partners, for the benefit of growth and jobs", ACEI says, calling on MEPs to give their consent to CETA's provisional implementation.
"The importance of CETA can hardly be overestimated", ACEI states, adding that according to the figures put forward by the European Commission, the elimination of customs duties on almost all products, and reduced technical barriers to trade, will help increase trade in goods and services between the EU and Canada by nearly 25% and will lift EU output by about €12 billion a year.
Furthermore, tariff savings for EU exporters are estimated to be approximately €470 million per year for industrial goods.
CETA will create major opportunities across all areas of the economy, including for sectors highly dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises (like food or clothing), with the elimination of duties at entry into force for most products, ACEI states.
With regard to public procurement, the EU has obtained an "unprecedented" result that includes commitments from the Canadian Federal level but also the Sub-Federal level including the Provinces, ACEI adds.
With regard to intellectual property rights, the EU is setting new standards with Canada that are similar to the EU's own standards, both for innovative industries (like pharmaceuticals), and also for more traditional industries (like food, with the recognition of a considerable number of geographical indications), ACEI assures.
"CETA is a progressive agreement that (...) reaffirms the states’ right to regulate and their ability to make public policy choices in key areas like public services, and it promotes the EU social and environmental standards", ACEI underlines.
"What is at stake is not only the agreement between the EU and Canada but the credibility of the EU as a reliable negotiating partner. Our companies need a level playing field in the EU but also in third countries. Trade is subject to severe public scrutiny and CETA has become the test case (...) Let’s make CETA a reality in 2017!", ACEI concludes.
As well as the European employers' association BusinessEurope, ACEI also comprises the European associations for auto-mobile manufacturing (ACEA), steel (Eurofer), metals (Eurometals), paper (CEPI), cement (Cembureau), textiles (Euratex), agri-food (FoodDrink Europe), engineering (Orgalime), refining (Fuels Europe), electricity (Eurelectric) and the chemical industry (CEFIC). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)