EU-Canada – ESF

Ahead of the 19th Canada-European Union (EU) Leader’s Summit that took place on 24^th November 2023 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada), the European Services Forum joined business groups in calling for strong ambition on the bilateral trade relationship and joined political action at 13th WTO Ministerial Conference to keep the multilateral trading system functioning. Here is the letter.

CETA IMPLEMENTATION:

EU-CANADA Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement – CETA

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) entered into force provisionally on 21 September 2017. This agreement allows for exports in good and services to flow more easily from the European Union to Canada. Please consult chapters 9-13 for information on services (Full Text of CETA).

“Benefits and loopholes of EU-Canada CETA: Two years on”

On 20th September 2019, The European Services Forum) organised, together with BusinessEurope, CERT (Canada-Europe Round Table) and CEUTIA (Canada-EU Trade & Investment Association), a seminar on the second anniversary of the provisional implementation of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, with a keynote speech of EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström. ESF Chairman Noel Clehane moderated the Session with the Commissioner. You can find her speech here (also on DG Trade website). The following panel featured experts from the European Commission, the Finnish Presidency of the EU, the Canadian Mission to the EU, and business representatives from the EU and Canada. The programme of the event is here. DG Trade one-pager containing links on Fact Sheets, Brochures and info on the Market Access Data base can be found here. The presentation of ESF Director Pascal Kerneis can be found here.

CETA Delivers Positive Results After One Year

September 21, 2018 marked the first anniversary of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the European Union and Canada. Although it is too early to draw any firm conclusions, the initial results are showing positive trends. CETA has given a boost to the business climate between the EU and Canada and has made it easier for both countries to export goods and services. According to the European Commission, CETA has increased overall trade between the EU and Canada from €63,172 (million in total trade) in 2015 to €69,212 in 2017. Imports from the EU to Canada have increased by 8.3% from 2016 to 2017. Already the trade agreement is shaping into a success for both participants. For the full report click here.

Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström said: “The EU-Canada trade agreement has now been in action for a year and I’m pleased with the progress made so far. The preliminary data shows there is plenty to celebrate, even at this stage. Exports are up overall and many sectors have seen impressive increases. This is great news for European businesses, big and small. As ever with these agreements, there are certain areas where we have to make sure that we thoroughly implement what has been agreed, making sure that citizens and companies can fully benefit from the new opportunities. This is something I intend to discuss with my Canadian counterparts at the Joint Committee next week. I’m happy to say that our partnership with Canada is stronger than ever – strategically as well as economically. Together, we are standing up for an open and rules-based international trading order. CETA is a clear demonstration of that.”

For more details on CETA, please consult the following links.

— CETA Press Release 20 September 2017

— CETA Brief Overview

Also, please consult the following annexes to quickly find text in the agreement relevant to services.

—Annex 9 – A – Understanding on national treatment with respect to the cross-border supply of services

–Annex 9 – B – Understanding on new services not classified in the united nations provisional central product classification (CPC), 1991

–Annex 9 – C – Understanding on courier services

–Annex 10 – A – List of contact points of the member states of the European union

–Annex 10 – B – Reservations and exceptions applying in specific member states of the European Union for key personnel and short-term business visitors

–Annex 10 – C – Equivalent qualifications for engineering technologists and scientific technologists

–Annex 10 – D – Activities of short-term business visitors

–Annex 10 – E – Sectoral commitments on contractual service suppliers and independent professionals

–Annex 10 – F – Understanding on spouses of intra-corporate transferees

–Annex 11 – A – Guidelines for MRAS

–Annex 13 – A – Cross-border trade in financial services

–Annex 13 – B – Understanding on the application of articles 13.16.1 and 13.21

–Annex 13 – C – Understanding on the dialogue on the regulation of the financial services sector

Market Access Schedule of commitment of Canada

–Reservations for existing measures and liberalisation commitments

–Schedule of Canada – Federal – Reservations applicable in Canada (applicable in all Provinces and Territories)

–Schedule of Canada – Provincial and Territorial

–Schedule of Canada – Reservations applicable in Canada – (applicable in all Provinces and Territories)

–Schedule of Canada – Provincial and Territorial

–Schedule of Canada

Market Access Schedule of commitment of the European Union

–Reservations applicable in the European Union eu

Background

The European Union is Canada’s second-largest trading partner accounting for 9.6% of its trade in goods in 2016. The European Union exported €5.1 billion more to Canada than it imported and trade in services between the two amounted to €30.1 billion in 2015. Although Canada accounted for only 2% of the EU’s total external trade in goods in 2016 Canada remains an important trading partner to the EU especially when trading machinery, transport equipment, and chemical and pharmaceutical products.

There is also a growing importance of trade in services between the EU and Canada. Approximately, 58.3% of total EU value added exports are services respectively, 44.8% of total Canada value added exports are services. The figure above highlights EU trade in services with Canada.

For more information:

ESF Statistics – Importance of trade in Services between the EU & Canada: