Agreement between EU and Canada: Expert: CETA jeopardizes consumer protection

Friday 12 March 2021

Agreement between EU and Canada
Expert: CETA Endangers Consumer Protection

The CETA trade agreement between the European Union and Canada is not yet fully implemented – but experts are already warning: the control of the rules is not transparent, there is a lack of democratic supervision by parliaments. They see health and consumer protection at risk in the European Union.

According to a legal opinion for the Foodwatch Association, the European-Canadian Trade Agreement CETA reflects a serious democratic deficit. This could have negative consequences for health and consumer protection in Europe, the Consumer Protection Organization said. The report by Wolfgang Wei, professor of public law at Spear, criticizes the lack of democratic control and transparency in the committees.

It is said that they have the power to replace parts of the CETA. “A new and much higher level in the exercise of sovereign powers by executive organs” will be reached. The so-called mixed CETA committee is responsible, among other things, for the application of the agreement; The European Parliament says that no VAE can write in this. Otherwise there are no mechanisms of parliamentary or public accountability.

Consumer Advocate: Bundestag should stop CETA

Foodwatch managing director Thilo Bode criticized: “The secret meeting of the CETA committees makes decisions that affect millions of EU citizens – but is left to the EU Parliament or the BundesTag.” He called for the Bundestag to stop the pact.

CETA regulates the elimination of almost all tariffs and the removal of other trade barriers between the European Union and Canada. In October 2016, the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe provisionally permitted German participation under certain conditions. Among other things, the federal government had to ensure that Germany could leave again. In September 2017, parts of the agreement were provisionally implemented.

The CETA can only be fully implemented when all EU states have ratified the agreement. Germany is awaiting the decision of Karlsure – there are complaints about the settlement in the Federal Constitutional Court, including one from Foodwatch, which has been submitted by the Consumer Protection Organization together with Campact and Mehr Demokrati.