‘The EU is really really interested in public procurement’
As Canadian and EU officials negotiate a free trade agreement behind closed doors opponents say the deal would have serious consequences for local and provincial governments.
“The EU is really really interested in public procurement… anything that governments buy” says Cathy Holtslander director of research and policy for the National Farmers Union.
Citing a leaked draft of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement also known as CETA Holtslander suggests that Canadian public institutions such as local governments schools and hospitals would be bound by CETA rules for any purchase past a set dollar amount.
That threshold isn’t very high and risks being lowered says Holtslander. “The three western provinces are actually seeking a lower threshold than what the federal government was proposing” she says.
“The provincial governments have suggested a threshold as low as $25000 so that anything above that would be subject to CETA.”
This could for example threaten Calgary’s lofty ambition to create a “sustainable and resilient food system within the Calgary region” as well as plans to increase consumption of regionally produced food to 30 per cent by 2036.
