The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada has been provisionally applied for five years. To mark the anniversary, the European Commission took stock of the benefits of the agreement and organised an event to discuss them on Wednesday 21 September.
Exports of EU goods to Canada have increased by 26% compared to the “pre-CETA” period. According to the European Commission, these exports have supported an additional 700,000 jobs in the EU.
CETA has also improved the supply of raw materials, energy and food. Energy imports, for example, have increased by 70%.
For the Director General of the Directorate-General for Trade at the European Commission, Sabine Weyand, the benefits of the CETA are not only measured in efficiency, “it's even more about resiliency”.
Ms Weyand defended free trade agreements as tools to “organise the world around us”. In practical terms, they can address issues such as unfair trade practices or product dependencies.
She also said that she has seen more enthusiasm recently around trade agreements. She noted that the EU will very soon conclude the negotiations on the modernisation of the trade agreements with Chile and Mexico. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)