ACTION ALERT: Take school boards and cities out of CETA!

The Chilliwack Times reports this week that the Chilliwack board of education has passed a motion calling for local government bodies to be exempted from the Canada-European Union free trade agreement, or CETA.

"It may seem very odd that we would be making any motion regarding a trade agreement with the European Union," says trustee John-Henry Harter, who tabled the motion. "On the surface I could agree with that, but the problem is that the European Union is insisting that any trade agreement they would sign would allow them access to the procurement procedures of sub-national governments, and for us, clearly, the concern is the school board."

The resolution echos the one passed by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities last September, "calling on the B.C. government to negotiate a 'clear, permanent exemption for local governments from CETA' and to provide municipalities with more information about the deal, which is now going into its seventh round of closed-door negotiations in April," says the Times.

Under CETA, the article says, "bidding on school district purchases and capital projects would have to be open not only to firms in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan (as they are under an existing regional trade agreement called the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement, or TILMA) but to firms in the 27 EU countries as well."

This is bound to slow down and increase the cost of tendering for municipal and school board contracts, says trade lawyer Cyndee Todgham-Cherniak. The bans on local preferences in CETA also threaten local job-creation measures, suggests school board superintendent Corrine McCabe.

Go here to read the full article.

TAKE ACTION

We need to act now to encourage cities, towns and districts, school boards and universities across Canada to follow in the footsteps of the UBCM and the Chilliwack school board by requesting that municipalities and other local government bodies be kept out of CETA. You can use the draft resolution below.

The provinces and territories will make offers on procurement to the EU in April. We can't let cities and school boards be part of those offers!

1. Find a local councillor(s) or mayor, school board trustee or other public agency official who you think might champion a call for a municipal, school board or other local agency exclusion from CETA.

2. Let them know about the UBCM and Chilliwack resolutions. And be sure to get them a copy of Steven Shrybman’s legal opinion and other materials on our website on the impacts that CETA will have on Canadian municipalities and water utilities: www.canadians.org/ceta.

3. Finally, be sure to stay in touch with regional organizers at the Council of Canadians with any updates. Contact details are here.

DRAFT RESOLUTION WHEREAS the government of Canada and the European Union have been negotiating a trade agreement known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (the “CETA”); and WHEREAS the European Union and European corporations are insisting on full access to procurement by sub-national governments - including municipalities, school boards, universities, hospitals and other provincial agencies - which could significantly reduce or eliminate the right to specify local priorities when public money is invested in goods, services or capital projects; and WHEREAS Canadian municipalities have expressed growing concerns with trade agreements and their potential impacts on municipal programs and services and local autonomy; and WHEREAS unfettered access to Canadian municipal procurement by European corporations may encourage privatization and reduce economic development options for local communities; and WHEREAS the provincial and territorial governments have been actively involved in negotiating CETA with the European Union: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the [NAME OF PROVINCIAL OR TERRITORIAL MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, OR SCHOOL BOARD OR UNIVERSITY] request: a briefing from the Province (or Territory) of [LIST YOUR PROVINCE OR TERRITORY] on the scope and content of trade negotiations with the European Union; the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to provide sector-by-sector analysis of the potential impacts on municipal functions and powers of the procurement regime that the European Union is seeking; the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to urge the government of Canada not to provide the European Union with access to sub national government procurement; and that the provincial (or territorial) government negotiate a clear, permanent exemption for local governments from CETA.

For more information about CETA, visit www.canadians.org/CETA.