On Friday, December 16, Adrian Thomas and representatives of EU companies met with a delegation of Members of the European Parliament during a working lunch co-organised by EUCCAN and the European Parliament on the occasion of the 41th EU-Canada Inter-parliamentary meeting.
As Canada and the EU celebrates this year the 5th anniversary of the provisional application of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), this lunch provided for an open discussion on the implementation of the Agreement, and broader trade and investment cooperation between the EU and Canada.
Members of the EU Parliament – led by Ms Stephanie Yon-Courtin, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Canada – and EU business representatives thus discussed various issues including sustainability, digital, health, crop science, raw materials and energy.
Challenges related to labour mobility also came up in the discussion; and EU business representatives called for broadened exchanges between Canadian and European universities, to achieve smoother cooperation and labour migration flows.
All participants agreed on the positive impact of CETA on bilateral trade conditions between Europe and Canada, notably its key role in eliminating burden and improving investment conditions for EU companies seeking to trade or develop their activities in Canada. They welcomed the final ratification of CETA by Germany that took place on the same day and recalled the importance of continuing to promote the benefits and good results of the Agreement in order to move forward with the ratification in Europe.
