Report of the Committee on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications to the Joint Committee

March 10, 2022 (by videoconference)

Ninth Round of Negotiations on an Agreement between the EU and Canada on the Mutual Recognition (MRA) of Professional Qualifications of Architects

The ninth round of negotiations took place via videoconference on March 10, 2022. The Parties were represented by the European Commission on behalf of the European Union (EU), and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA), now renamed Regulatory Organizations for Architecture in Canada (ROAC), on behalf of Canada. Representatives of Canada’s Provincial and Territorial Governments attended as observers.

Prior to the round, Parties held technical discussions on February 24 where Parties discussed the residency matter, which was the only major outstanding issue remaining in the MRA text. During Round 9, Canada sought additional clarification from the EU on how possible breaches of CETA and the MRA could be tackled by the Parties, and both Parties exchanged views pertaining to the implementation of the MRA before officially closing the text.

The negotiation of the CETA MRA Decision is now concluded. Parties committed to maintain regular contact for the next phases of legal review and translation until the text is finalized and formally adopted at a CETA MRA Joint Committee meeting to be scheduled if possible in the second half of the year.