View the timeline
The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed on October 30, 2016, and entered into force provisionally on September 21, 2017. Since then, CETA has been providing Canadians and European businesses with preferential access to each other’s markets, and all economically significant parts of the agreement, with the exception of some parts of the Investment Chapter, are now in force. The agreement will take full effect once all EU member states have formally ratified it. This process is ongoing.
This timeline provides more information on the milestones and achievements that have gone into finalizing the agreement.
2022
- December 2022 – Third CETA Joint Committee meeting
- February 2022 – Meeting of the CETA Civil Society Forum
2021
- December 2021 – Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Business Workshop
- September 2021 – The European Union (EU) hosts round table to celebrate CETA’s fourth anniversary
- March 2021 – Second meeting of the CETA Joint Committee
- March 2021 – Webinar on gender, trade and standards under the CETA Joint Committee’s recommendation on trade and gender
2020
- December 2020 – Meeting of the CETA Civil Society Forum
- October 2020 – Release of economic modelling and data frameworks for gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) under the CETA Joint Committee’s recommendation on trade and gender
- September 2020 – Release of 2020 to 2021 CETA Trade and Gender Recommendation: EU-Canada Work Plan
- September 2020 – Statement by Minister Ng on third anniversary of CETA
2019
- November 2019 – Canada-EU CETA Civil Society Forum dialogue on sustainable development
- October 2019 – Third meeting on the CETA Joint Committee’s recommendation on trade and gender; this meeting discussed conducting impact assessments of trade agreements
- September 2019 – Canada and the EU celebrate second anniversary of CETA
- June 2019 – Second meeting on the CETA Joint Committee’s recommendation on trade and gender; this meeting discussed policies and programs that support women entrepreneurs
- April 2019 – CETA trade and gender workshop
- February 2019 – First meeting on the CETA Joint Committee’s recommendation on trade and gender; this meeting discussed policies related to gender equality
2018
- September 2018 – CETA Joint Committee inaugural meeting in Montréal, Canada
2017
- September 21, 2017 – CETA enters into force provisionally
- May 2017 – Canadian bill to implement CETA granted royal assent
- February 2017 – European Parliament approves CETA
2016
- October 2016 – Canada and EU sign historic trade agreement during EU-Canada Summit
- July 2016 – European Commission (EC) officially refers CETA to the Council of the EU with a proposal for its approval and signature
- February 2016 – Canada and EU announce completion of the legal review of the agreement’s English text
2014
- September 2014 – Leaders release agreement’s completed text at Canada-EU Summit in Ottawa It is published in Canada in both official languages
- August 2014 – Canada and EU announce complete text of the Canada-EU Trade Agreement, marking the conclusion of negotiations
- Canada and EU proceed with thorough legal review and translation of text into the other 22 EU treaty languages
2013
- October 2013 – Canada and EU announce agreement in principle
- February 2013 – Canadian and EU trade and agriculture ministers meet in Ottawa to further narrow outstanding issues in the negotiations
2012
- November 2012 – Canadian and EU trade and agriculture ministers meet in Brussels, Belgium, to take stock of progress and discuss outstanding issues
- February 2012 – Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for international trade meet in Ottawa and recognize trade negotiations with the EU as a priority
2011
- October 2011 – Nine formal rounds of negotiations completed, with significant progress made across all sectors
- Negotiations move into a more intensive and focused phase
2010
- December 2010 – Canadian and EU trade ministers meet to take stock of progress to date, instructing negotiators to maintain the pace and ambition of negotiations
2009
- October 2009 – Successful and productive first round of negotiations toward an agreement held in Ottawa
- Both sides make efforts to identify common ground and set ambitious negotiating timeline
- May 2009 – Canada and EU announce launch of trade negotiations at the Canada-EU Summit in Prague, Czech Republic
- March 2009 – Canada-EU joint report defining scope of potential negotiations finalized
2008
- December 2008 – Notice published in Canada Gazette on December 20, 2008, seeking input from Canadians on the possibility of negotiating a trade agreement with the EU
- October 2008 – Canada and EU issue joint study, “Assessing the Costs and Benefits of a Closer EU-Canada Economic Partnership,” which provides supporting rationale for launch of negotiations
2007
- June 2007 – At the 2007 European Union (EU)-Canada Summit in Berlin, Germany, Canadian and EU leaders agree to conduct joint study to examine costs and benefits of pursuing a closer economic partnership
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