Report from the fifth CETA Civil Society Forum

April 25 and 26, 2023, by videoconference

Joint Report

The fifth Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) Civil Society Forum (CSF) was hosted by the European Union (EU), and took place in a hybrid format on April 25 and 26, 2023, with more than 150 participants from across the EU and Canada, including businesses, environmental and labour organizations, civil society, academia as well as Indigenous representatives from Canada.

Summary of Session I: Trade and environment / Trade and climate change

During this session, the EU and Canada Domestic Advisory Groups highlighted the need to continue to focus on the Net Zero Goal, on Circular Economy, Biodiversity, and the sustainable trade of fisheries and agricultural products. They also highlighted the importance of improving plastic recyclability and composability, the right to repair and the reduction of electronic waste.

Both Parties discussed the urgency of the environmental and climate crisis worldwide and the need to enact ambitious policies within trade agreements to achieve growth consistent with the Paris Agreement’s objectives. Both Parties underscored the importance of ongoing bilateral collaboration on key issues including biodiversity, plastic pollution and circular economy, energy transition and Net-Zero objectives. They also highlighted their work on carbon pricing, noting how Canada and the EU are reciprocally aligned and support each other in the context of international fora.

Participants highlighted the importance of interlinkages between industrial sectors in the context of trade, including on deforestation, circular economy, energy transition and biodiversity. Participants also raised the importance of international cooperation to leverage environment and climate goals and other policy goals in order to increase supply chain resiliency. In that respect, they welcomed the forthcoming work on a Green Alliance.

Summary of session II: Canada-EU cooperation on labour

Officials from both sides described their coordinated approaches on trade and labour practices under CETA, as well as in the third country partners both sides have in common, including in Asia and the Americas.

Moreover, both Parties expressed their resolve to work on tackling forced labour and promoting decent work globally, including by working collaboratively in multilateral forums (including at the International Labour Organization (ILO)), and supporting platforms and initiatives that advance labour rights. The ratification and promotion of the fundamental ILO conventions and other ILO conventions such as Convention 190 concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work by both parties (with a focus on Member States) has been echoed during the discussion. Participants underlined the importance of enforceable labour provisions in free trade agreements and noted that coordination, coherence, and complementarity in approaches promote inclusive trade for the benefit of all sectors of society.

Summary of session III - Developments in the field of Trade and sustainable development, Trade and labour and Trade and environment – policy, implementation, enforcement

During this session, the EU’s presentation outlined its trade and sustainable development strategy adopted in June 2022, which aims to further strengthen the implementation and enforcement of Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters of the EU’s trade agreement partners. Canada and the EU engaged in a fruitful conversation with Civil Society Organizations on a range of topics such as the EU’s proposal to mainstreaming the TSD chapter throughout its Free Trade Agreements; the TSD complaint process; understanding the practical operation of the Rapid Response Mechanism in CUSMA and Canada’s proposal to allow mediation the option of applying sanctions when a party fails to resolve a breach of its commitments under CETA’s TSD chapters.

Summary of session IV: CETA recommendations on Trade and gender and SMEs

For this session, Canada provided a presentation on progress on implementing the CETA Trade and Gender Recommendation. The EU provided a state of play of the gender equality strategy for the period 2020-2025. Both parties re-affirmed their commitments to refreshing the current work plan on trade and gender.

Canada provided a presentation on trade performance of Canadian Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SME) exporters under CETA and shared the results of a recent internal information exchange between Canadian and EU officials on consulting and engaging with SMEs. Moving forward, the Parties will continue to implement the Recommendation’s CETA SME Action Plan.