Report of the CETA Committee on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications

May 18-19, 2021 (by videoconference)

Second round of negotiations on an Agreement between the EU and Canada on the Mutual Recognition of professional qualifications of architects

The second round of negotiations took place via videoconference on May 18-19, 2021. The Parties were represented by the European Commission on behalf of the European Union (EU), and Global Affairs Canada and the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authority (CALA) on behalf of Canada. Representatives of Canada’s Provincial and Territorial Governments attended as observers.

The Parties discussed all elements of the draft for a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between Canada and the EU for the profession of architects. The Parties reached agreement on issues such as the application of CETA to the MRA, language ensuring the right of Parties to regulate in the public interest, and rules governing administration of the online course on domain-specific competencies. The Parties also reached agreement on the interaction of regulatory bodies as described under the MRA, and on the content of the appendices containing detailed information pertaining to recognition requirements.

The following elements were discussed in further detail during the round:

• The Parties exchanged their perspectives and proposed options to align the text of the MRA with their respective internal requirements.
• The Parties exchanged views concerning the circumstances under which the CETA dispute settlement procedures might be used to resolve issues arising under the MRA.
• The EU provided information on the scope of non-conforming measures reserved under CETA where they could be relevant for recognition under the MRA.

The Parties committed to further consider all unresolved issues and exchange information where necessary in advance of a third round of negotiation scheduled for June 2021.