Text of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement – Preamble

COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC AND TRADE AGREEMENT (CETA)
BETWEEN CANADA, OF THE ONE PART,
AND THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITS MEMBER STATES, OF THE OTHER PART

CANADA, of the one part, and THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM, THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK, THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA, IRELAND, THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN, THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS, THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA, THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA, THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG, HUNGARY, THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA, THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA, THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND, THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, ROMANIA, THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA, THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC, THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, and THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, of the other part, hereafter jointly referred to as the "Parties", resolve to:

FURTHER strengthen their close economic relationship and build upon their respective rights and obligations under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, done on 15 April 1994, and other multilateral and bilateral instruments of cooperation;

CREATE an expanded and secure market for their goods and services through the reduction or elimination of barriers to trade and investment;

ESTABLISH clear, transparent, predictable and mutually‑advantageous rules to govern their trade and investment;

AND,

REAFFIRMING their strong attachment to democracy and to fundamental rights as laid down in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, done at Paris on 10 December 1948, and sharing the view that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction poses a major threat to international security;

RECOGNISING the importance of international security, democracy, human rights and the rule of law for the development of international trade and economic cooperation;

RECOGNISING that the provisions of this Agreement preserve the right of the Parties to regulate within their territories and the Parties' flexibility to achieve legitimate policy objectives, such as public health, safety, environment, public morals and the promotion and protection of cultural diversity;

AFFIRMING their commitments as parties to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, done at Paris on 20 October 2005, and recognising that states have the right to preserve, develop and implement their cultural policies, to support their cultural industries for the purpose of strengthening the diversity of cultural expressions, and to preserve their cultural identity, including through the use of regulatory measures and financial support;

RECOGNISING that the provisions of this Agreement protect investments and investors with respect to their investments, and are intended to stimulate mutually‑beneficial business activity, without undermining the right of the Parties to regulate in the public interest within their territories;

REAFFIRMING their commitment to promote sustainable development and the development of international trade in such a way as to contribute to sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions;

ENCOURAGING enterprises operating within their territory or subject to their jurisdiction to respect internationally recognised guidelines and principles of corporate social responsibility, including the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and to pursue best practices of responsible business conduct;

IMPLEMENTING this Agreement in a manner consistent with the enforcement of their respective labour and environmental laws and that enhances their levels of labour and environmental protection, and building upon their international commitments on labour and environmental matters;

RECOGNISING the strong link between innovation and trade, and the importance of innovation to future economic growth, and affirming their commitment to encourage the expansion of cooperation in the area of innovation, as well as the related areas of research and development and science and technology, and to promote the involvement of relevant public and private sector entities;

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS: