EU-Canada relations: EESC encourages Québec input

Monday, March 22, 2010

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On March 8, at the invitation of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Québec’s Delegate General in Brussels, Christos Sirros, described Québec’s position concerning the negotiation of a comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union.

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The Canadian provinces are full participants in the negotiations leading up to this future EU-Canada partnership agreement and will also be responsible for implementing the CETA commitments that concern them. This explains the EESC’s invitation, as part of the process of drafting an opinion on relations between the European Union and Canada, to be published in June.

As Québec is the only Canadian province with a permanent government representative in Brussels, Delegate General Sirros has become a key spokesman when it comes to explaining the workings of the provinces and their involvement in the CETA negotiations. Québec has also played a leading role in encouraging the EU members, Canadian provinces and Canadian federal government to negotiate a partnership agreement.

Two important meetings on EU-Canada relations are scheduled for this spring. The third round of CETA negotiations will be held in Ottawa in April, and the EU-Canada Summit will take place on May 5 in Brussels.