CETA and Regulatory Standards: Overcoming Technical Barriers to Trade

Canada and the European Union (EU) have reached a pivotal point in the negotiation of a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).  After a year and a half of negotiations, the parties are getting down to the critical issues. 

Among the remaining sensitive negotiating topics is the issue of regulatory and voluntary standards.  Most consumer products, such as automobiles, food products, and electrical appliances, are subject to technical requirements relating to their design, labelling, packaging, functionality and performance.  Such requirements may be established by governments to meet legitimate policy objectives, such as protecting consumer health and safety. They may also be established by non-governmental bodies in the form of voluntary standards to ensure the compatibility of products. However, when such standards and technical requirements differ among countries, they can create technical barriers to trade, frustrating the efforts of traders to access foreign markets notwithstanding lower duty rates.  Canada has been pushing for the inclusion of a stand-alone chapter on regulatory cooperation in the CETA as one means of addressing conflicting standards and technical requirements.                                                                                                                                                                        

I.E.Canada invites you to a luncheon - organized in partnership with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and Bennett Jones LLP - to hear about the latest developments in the CETA negotiations following the fifth round of talks held in Ottawa in October 2010. Come and join other industry experts in a roundtable discussion on technical standards and regulatory cooperation and the issues and implications for Canadian companies wishing to import or export products to the European market.

When:    Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Where:   Bennett Jones LLP, Suite 3400, 1 First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario

Time:      12:00 — 12:20 p.m.—  Registration and Lunch

                12:20 —   2:15 p.m. —  Program

12:20    Introduction

                 Milos Barutciski, Partner, and Co-Chair, International Trade and Investment Practice Group

                 Bennett Jones LLP.

12:30    Canada-European Union Trade Negotiations—Update

Steve Verheul, Chief Trade Negotiator (Canada - European Union)

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada  (Confirmed)

12:50    Mark Richardson, Deputy Director, Technical Barriers & Regulation

                 Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada  (Invited)

 1:10     Question Period

 1:15      Roundtable Discussion with Business Community

Standards and Certification Body Perspective

- Bonnie Rose, President, Standards Division, Canadian Standards Association (Invited)

Automotive Industry Perspective
- Mark A. Nantais, President, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (Confirmed)

Electrical Industry Perspective
- Milos Jancik, Former President & CEO, Electro-Federation Canada (Invited)

Agri-Food Perspective

- Diana Hénault, Vice-President, Procurement & Compliance, I-D Foods Corporation (Confirmed)

2:15      Final Remarks

 Milos Barutciski, Bennett Jones LLP.