Free trade with Europe? - editorial

[pampango]

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/805845--free-trade-with-europe.

A free trade deal with the European Union seems to make sense for Canada. The EU is a huge market, with 500 million people, and we don’t have to worry about the Europeans compromising human rights or exploiting labour or plundering the environment. Plus, the more trade we do with Europe, the less dependent we are on the American market.

Now Stephen Harper is Prime Minister and following in Trudeau’s footsteps. Harper is in Europe this week to push for a “comprehensive economic and trade agreement” with the EU, although his stated goal is not to use Europe as a counterweight to the U.S. “One of the most important things is to continue opening global trade and to resist protectionism,” said Harper in Brussels on Wednesday.

In a teleconference Thursday with journalists, Trade Minister Peter Van Loan — who is also in Europe this week — said the trade talks are going well, with a meeting just finished in Ottawa and two more rounds planned for July and October. He added that he expects the deal to be completed some time next year, but he acknowledged that the negotiators have not yet grappled with the “stickier issues.”

Another looming issue is development of the tar sands. The European Parliament this week passed a resolution expressing “concern about the impact of the extraction of oil sand on the global environment.” This is definitely not part of Harper’s agenda."

Sounds like the EU wants environmental issues like the tars sands to be part of a Canada-EU FTA. At least some in Canada want to be less dependent on the US economy by orienting more towards Europe, not by lowering trade with the US but increasing it with Europe.

In terms of progressive governing Canada is more like Europe, e.g. national health care, social safety net, market regulation, etc., than it is the US.