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star phoenix - farm union targets trade pact with europe

beethoven

Well-known member
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/Farm+union+targets+trade+pact+with+Europe/3674004/story.html

Farm union targets trade pact with Europe

By Hannah Scissons, Saskatoon StarPhoenix October 14, 2010


SASKATOON — The trade agreement being negotiated between Canada and the European Union ultimately will be just another tool for large corporations, says the National Farmers Union.

On Thursday, the organization launched a campaign against the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, saying "draconian" provisions in the agreement would virtually eliminate the age-old practice of farmers saving and reusing seed from their crops.

The NFU obtained a draft of the agreement and said it contains provisions that a farmer's land, equipment and crops could be seized — and bank accounts frozen — if the farmer was accused of infringement of intellectual property rights attached to plant varieties owned by global corporations such as Monsanto, Bayer and Syngenta.

"I think very quickly, this would generate a culture of fear in the countryside because farmers can't defend themselves against those entities," said Terry Boehm, president of the NFU.

Farmers essentially would be forced to purchase seed annually — regardless of whether they've saved their seed from the year before — resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in increased expense, he said.

In addition, the trade agreement would take away the ability of municipal and provincial governments to favour locally produced goods and services and open the door for multinational companies to stake claims to such public services as drinking water provision and health care, said Boehm.

When contacted for comment, the federal government did not make anyone available for an interview but supplied a statement from International Trade Peter Minister Van Loan. He pointed out an agreement with the EU has the potential to increase trade by more than 20 per cent.

"Canada is committed to negotiating a comprehensive agreement that will open doors for business and help create jobs for Canadians," Van Loan said.

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix
 

beethoven

Well-known member
http://www.cbc.ca/news/pointofview/2010/10/free-trade-pact-should-canada-and-the-eu-enter-into-one.html

* October 27, 2010 1:55 PM | Comments36Recommended13
* By POV

By CBC News

A free trade deal between Canada and the European Union would cost tens of thousands of workers their jobs, according to a new study.

The study -- by CAW chief economist Jim Stanford -- was released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Stanford ran three simulations to see what a Canada-EU free trade deal would mean to the Canadian economy, and in every case Canada's bilateral trade deficit with the EU would worsen.

In the best-case scenario -- one in which tariffs are mutually eliminated -- Stanford foresees the loss of 28,000 jobs.

In the worst-case simulation -- one in which tariff elimination takes place along with a further appreciation of the Canadian dollar versus the euro -- the job losses could top 150,000.

The fifth round of Canada-EU free trade talks took place in Ottawa last week. Federal officials say a pact could be ready to sign next year.

Business leaders have welcomed efforts to reach a trade deal with the EU. But many labour groups, farmers groups and nationalists are opposed.
 

beethoven

Well-known member
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/politics/archive/2010/11/16/council-of-canadians-pans-draft-trade-agreement-with-eu.aspx


Council of Canadians pans draft trade agreement with EU

By Anonymous 16 Nov 2010 COMMENTS(0) Politics and the Nation

Filed under: Peter Van Loan, EU-Canada trade, Council of Canadians

Critics of Canda's emerging free-trade agreement with the European Union are warning that Canada risks ceding too much sovereignty in seeking to harmonize regulations with Europe.

Canadian officials estimate a trade deal with the EU would increase Canada's GDP by $12 billion, or 0.77 per cent, by 2014. Trade Minister Peter Van Loan has said that, next to Canada's relations with the United States, a deal with the EU is his government's biggest trade priority.

But the Council of Canadians, an organization that strives to protect Canada's "independence" on issues such as trade, says there are a number of warning signs in a draft version of the agreement. The group says the draft, which I've attached to this post, was produced before the two sides held their latest round of negotiations last month.

The Council argues that, by giving each other notice of any regulatory changes that would affect the deal, the two governments open the door to big corporations doing pre-emptive lobbying to kill any tough new standards on issues such as food safety.

The group also says both sides are working toward the kind of dispute-resolution mechanism that was included in the North American Free-Trade Agreement. The group says NAFTA's Chapter 11 provision offers too much protection for foreign investors to sue the Canadian government when they feel their trade rights have been violated.

The Council plans to release the latest draft at a mock "release party" on Parliament Hill at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday.

On Monday, Canada's senior trade negotiator on the file said only four of the 22 negotiating issues had been resolved, suggesting a final deal isn't likely any time soon.

--Andrew Mayeda
 
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