The following resolutions from the City of Burnaby will be going to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Board meeting (on August 30-September 2 in Iqaluit) and to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities annual convention (on September 27-October 1 is Whistler).

The resolutions call on the FCM and the UBCM to “request that the Canadian government negotiate a clear, permanent exemption for municipalities from CETA.”

The resolutions argue that “unfettered access to Canadian municipal procurement by European corporations may encourage privatization and reduce economic development options for local communities…”

It is clear that the European Commission sees procurement as their top objective in the CETA talks.

Embassy magazine has reported that, “Since tariffs with the European bloc are already very low, many of the topics discussed in the negotiations fall either under the sole or shared jurisdiction of sub-governments in this country.” And that includes municipal procurement.

In fact, the joint Canada-EU scoping report released in March 2009 stated, “The Scoping Group was of the opinion that any agreement should substantially improve access to public procurement markets aiming to achieve full coverage of central and sub-central government procurement in all sectors, to ensure inter alia treatment no less favourable than that accorded to locally-established suppliers.”

1. RESOLUTION FOR THE FCM

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

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:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities request that the Canadian government negotiate a clear, permanent exemption for municipalities from CETA.

City of Burnaby

2. RESOLUTION FOR THE UBCM

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

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 B.C. government and other provincial governments have been actively involved in negotiating CETA with the European Union:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of B.C. Municipalities request that the provincial government negotiate a clear, permanent exemption for municipalities from CETA.

City of Burnaby