Brussels, 18 October 2013 – After 4 years of negotiations, the President of the European Commission and the Canadian Prime-Minister have finalized the negotiations between EU and Canada for the signature of an ambitious trade agreement.
Canada is an important market for EU wines with 986M€ in 2012.
Despite the adoption of a specific “wine agreement as from 2004”, some trade irritants remained for EU wines, in particular some discriminatory practices in provincial monopolies (“Liquor Boards”)
CETA should make the way to the Canadian market easier and fairer for European wines due to several significant improvements on:
- the inclusion of the “wine agreement” in the CETA, giving access to the dispute settlement mechanism;
- a more transparent and fair functioning of Liquor Boards and their activities;
- a fairer implementation of the retail networks;
- the elimination of residual tariffs.
“This agreement concluded with one of the major market for EU wines offers positive perspectives for EU wines. In a global difficult international context, wine exporters welcome this positive sign and fully support a quick entry into force. We have a long tradition of wine trade with Canada, and this ambitious CETA will allow to develop again our exportations in a clear, well balanced and fair framework,” declared Jean-Marie Barillère, President of CEEV. “We hope that similar positive results improving trade relations could be obtained soon, notably with China. ”
CEEV also urges the European Commission to use all means and resources to ensure full respect and implementetion of this agreement, as for similar ones previously adopted or under negotiation. This is the only way to get the full benefit expected for our exports’ development, by lifting trade barriers. It is only under that condition that EU trade policy developed through bilateral agreements will bring true and long term benefits to Member states economies and strengthening employment within the EU.
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Note to Editors
The Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins(CEEV – www.ceev.eu represents the wine companies in the industry and trade in the European Union: still wines, sparkling wines, liqueur wines, aromatised wines and other vine products. It brings together 24 national organisations. With more than 7.000 companies, mainly SMEs, and more than 200.000 direct jobs in the EU, its members produce and market the vast majority of quality European wines, with and without a geographical indication, and account for over 90% of European wine exports. With around 8,8 billion euros worth of exports every year, the wine sector makes a contribution of over 6 billion euros to the EU trade balance.
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