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From: Constance Fogal <•••@••.•••>Date: October 6, 2008 6:46:24 AM GMT+01:00To: •••@••.•••, •••@••.•••, •••@••.•••Subject: [Fogal_contacts] Quebec premier says Canada-EU deal’groundbreaking’ in scopeReply-To: •••@••.•••From: Brent PattersonSent: Friday, October 03, 2008 8:42 AMSubject: [coc-chaps-l] NEWS: Quebec premier says Canada-EU deal’groundbreaking’in scopeDear chapter activists,As reported in today’s Globe and Mail, Quebec Premier Jean Charest “describedthe proposed (Canada-European Union deep integration) pact as a groundbreakinginitiative on a scale that has never been attempted. The accord would go wellbeyond the scope of the NAFTA agreement between Canada and the United States byencompassing not only trade in goods and services but also the free movement ofskilled workers and an open market in government services and procurement…Mr.Charest has been involved in the initiative involving the EU countries for twoyears, including lobbying business leaders in its member countries…The pitch heis making to Europeans is to do a deal with Canada that can serve as a model forsomething far more ambitious with the United States.”The newspaper report adds, “Canada’s premiers will play a pivotal role in thecountry’s efforts to integrate its economy with the 27 nations of the EuropeanUnion, Quebec Premier Jean Charest says. Preliminary talks between Canadian andEuropean officials will begin on Oct. 17 at a summit in Montreal. The provinces’role in the negotiations will be instrumental to the fate of the proposedmassive agreement because it involves issues that primarily fall under theirjurisdiction, Mr. Charest told The Globe and Mail yesterday. No deal couldhappen without the premiers at the table, he said.”The full article can be read atTo respond to the Council of Canadians action alert demanding the release of thedraft text of the Canada-EU deal, please go to–BACKGROUND–1. GLOBE AND MAIL – THE DEAL WOULD EXCEED THE SCOPE OF NAFTAAs reported in the Globe and Mail on September 18, “Canadian and Europeanofficials say they plan to begin negotiating a massive agreement to integrateCanada’s economy with the 27 nations of the European Union, with preliminarytalks to be launched at an Oct. 17 summit in Montreal three days after thefederal election.” The article continues, “…a senior EU official involved inthe talks described (them) as ‘deep economic integration negotiations.’”The article states, “The proposed pact would far exceed the scope of olderagreements such as NAFTA by encompassing not only unrestricted trade in goods,services and investment and the removal of tariffs, but also the free movementof skilled people and an open market in government services and procurement –which would require that Canadian governments allow European companies to bid asequals on government contracts for both goods and services and end the favouringof local or national providers of public-sector services.”The Globe reports, “Because of the election, Mr. Harper appears to have decidednot to unveil a full text of the proposed agreement, but instead to use thesummit to inaugurate the trade talks with the launch of a ‘scoping exercise’that will quickly set the goals of the pact and lead to formal ‘comprehensivetrade and investment negotiations’ to begin in ‘early 2009,’ according tocommunications between senior Canadian and European officials examined by TheGlobe and Mail…The two governments have completed a detailed study of theproposed agreement that will be unveiled shortly after the election, should theConservatives win. Both Ottawa and Brussels have had staff work on a draft textfor a deal they had hoped would be introduced at a Canada-EU summit, to beattended by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, European Commission President JoseManuel Barroso and Mr. Harper in Montreal on Oct. 17.”While the public has not been allowed to see the study or the draft text,apparently large corporations have. The article notes, “Proponents, includingall of Canada’s major business-lobby organizations, are in favour of the deal…”2. METRO NEWS COVERAGE OF THE CANADA-EU DEALAs reported on September 19 in the Metro Canada newspapers in Halifax, Edmonton,Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa, “Prime Minister Stephen Harper must makepublic the draft text of a new ‘deep economic integration’ trade deal with theEuropean Union that rivals NAFTA in scope before voters go to the polls on Oct.14, says the Council of Canadians.”The article continues, “‘The prime minister should be accountable to the publicand release the text immediately so that voters can make an informed decision ona deal that will be further negotiated in Montreal just three days after thefederal election,’ said Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council ofCanadians. ‘Stephen Harper ran on a campaign of accountability in the 2006election, promising to bring significant international treaties to Parliament.He must keep his word, be accountable, and release the draft text of thissweeping new trade deal immediately.'”The Metro article also reports, “While the text has not been released, itreportedly includes the unrestricted trade in goods, services and investment,the removal of tariffs, and an open market in government services andprocurement — which would require the Canadian government to allow Europeancompanies to bid as equals on government contracts for both goods and services,and to not give preference to local or national providers of public-sectorservices.”In Canada, Metro editions are published in: Halifax, Montreal (in French),Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Metro targets 18-49 year oldsand has a circulation (as of September 18, 2008) of 1,007,800 readers. MetroCanada is part of the Metro International network, the world’s largest globalnewspaper.The article can be read at http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/Canada/article/114557.3. ANDREW COYNE SAYS RELEASE THE TEXTMaclean’s magazine national editor and CBC political panel regular Andrew Coynewrites (unkindly) in his September 18 Macleans.ca blog that, “One unanticipatedconsequence of the Canada-EU deal, even before it’s been struck — we can nolonger accuse the Council of Canadians of being narrowly anti-American. It turnsout they’re also anti-European! Or perhaps they’re just shills for thepublic-sector unions:”He then quotes our recent media release on this trade deal at length andconcludes, “That said, I agree with the Council — show us the text! The time totalk about this is during the election, not after.”You can read this at4. CUPE CONCERNED ABOUT CANADA-EU DEALA recent CUPE media release states, “The Canadian Union of Public Employees isasking Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end his secrecy surroundingCanada-European Union trade talks and make it an election issue. The potentialtrade deal has serious implications for Canadians, and details about theagreement must be made public as citizens choose their next government.”The full CUPE media release can be read at http://cupe.ca/trade/eu-trade-talks.It notes, in part, “The North American Free Trade Agreement has already usheredin privatization and foreign ownership while threatening quality Canadian jobs.We need to renegotiate our current trade agreements. Why should Canada enter anew trade deal with Europe if our own Prime Minister can’t share the detailswith us during an election?”5. RABBLE.CA BLOGA Council of Canadians rabble.ca blog on this issue can be read atThanks,BrentBrent PattersonDirector of Campaigns and CommunicationsThe Council of Canadians700-170 Laurier Avenue WestOttawa, Ontario K1P 5V51-800-387-7177 ext. 291www.canadians.org—CANADIAN ACTION PARTY/PARTI ACTION CANADIENNELEADER, CONSTANCE (Connie) FOGALwww.canadianactionparty.caTelephone Connie Fogal at: 604 872 2128