Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
1223. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if she will report on the meeting of the EU's regulatory co-operation forum under CETA in mid-April 2018; the way in which Ireland was represented at that meeting; the progress made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32579/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) entered into force provisionally on the 21st September 2017 and both the EU and Canada are currently working to establish its Regulatory Cooperation Forum (RCF).
The RCF will discuss regulatory policy issues of mutual interest and develop bilateral cooperation activities. By fostering cooperation earlier in the regulatory process, the RCF is expected to enhance information sharing between Canadian and EU regulators, facilitate the development of more compatible regulatory measures, resulting in fewer non-tariff barriers to trade, and making it easier for the EU, including, of course, Irish-based companies, to do business in Canada. The RCF is a voluntary cooperation mechanism and any initiative entailing a change in EU regulations can only be introduced and pursued outside CETA, in compliance with the ordinary legislative procedure, including scrutiny by Member States.
Chapter 21 of CETA defines a broad scope for such activities under the RCF, such as regulatory measures related to technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary (animal and plant health) aspects, trade in services, trade and sustainable development, trade and labour, trade and environment, with the objectives of contributing to the protection of human life, health or safety, animal or plant life or health and the environment; avoiding and reducing unnecessary regulatory differences; or reduce administrative burden and unnecessary duplication.
To prepare the first meeting of the RCF, the EU Commission published a call for proposals to develop a list of potential topics where EU and Canadian regulators can meaningfully cooperate in the future. The Commission invited input from all stakeholders and interested parties, including representatives from academia, think-tanks, civil society, non-governmental organisations, trade unions, businesses, consumer and other organisations in identifying sectors/issues where there is a high interest for regulatory cooperation with Canada, such as for instance in relation to new technological developments. The closing date was the 16th February 2018 and the responses received are available on the Commission’s website at http://trade.ec.europa.eu/consultations/index.cfm?consul_id=248. The EU Commission is now analysing these proposals to determine the list of the topics that the EU will propose to Canada to be discussed at the RCF. The Government of Canada issued a similar call for proposals and the closing date was the 11th April 2018.
The RCF will be a "government to government" meeting and, in accordance with the Treaty on Functioning of the European Union, the EU will be represented by the EU Commission. The EU Commission will consult Member States in relation to the work of the Forum and will engage with civil society stakeholders in relation to activities carried out under the RCF.
The EU Commission publishes a timetable of the CETA committee meetings and their agendas (when available), reports and other documents in order to inform about the different steps of the CETA implementation process. Once the agenda is agreed between the EU and Canada it will be published on the EU Commission’s website at http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=1811.
A date for the first meeting of the RCF has yet to be confirmed.
