Meeting of the CETA Committee on Government Procurement – October 3, 2022 (by videoconference)

Joint report

The fifth meeting of the CETA Committee on Government Procurement (GP) took place on October 3, 2022 by videoconference. Participants included representatives from Global Affairs Canada (Government of Canada), the European Commission, the Delegation of the European Union to Canada, the Mission of Canada to the EU, Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Representatives from the provinces and territories of Canada were also present.

Canada provided an overview of its Single Point of Access (SPA) and gave a demonstration of its platform “CanadaBuys”. Canada offered to organise a separate meeting on the matter should further questions arise.

The Parties also exchanged information regarding their respective procurement initiatives. The European delegation shared an update on the implementation of the International Procurement Instrument. Canada provided an overview of its Budget 2021 commitment to implement reciprocal procurement policies.

The Parties discussed Canada’s decision to remove the temporary coverage of the CSA procurements from the CETA GP Chapter. The European delegation expressed disappointment with Canada’s decision. The CSA presented a brief summary of Canada’s approach to reviewing the coverage, which included taking an evidence-based approach and formal consultations with Canadian industry stakeholders. The CSA also highlighted the high degree of space cooperation between Canada and the EU.

In terms of next steps, the Committee on GP will report to the CETA Joint Committee on its key accomplishments.