Secret Details Released About Canada-European Union Free Trade Talks

FERNEY-VOLTAIRE, France, April 19, 2010 - As the third round of Canada-European Union free trade negotiations
begins, leaked draft details of the proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade
Agreement (CETA) were jointly released today by the global union federation
Public Services International and its European arm, the European Federation
of Public Service Unions, together with union affiliates and civil service
organisations in the Canadian Trade Justice Network.

This new information raises serious questions about the impact of a free
trade agreement on social policy, environmental sustainability, public
services, culture, intellectual property rights, food sovereignty and other
areas of vital concern to European and Canadian citizens.

PSI general secretary Peter Waldorff says, "Although free trade may sound
promising, such deals largely benefit huge multinational corporations which
have identified public services, such as health care, education, and public
security, as the next frontier for making private profit. This agreement's
draft text outlines an agenda focused on privatisation, deregulation and
domestic restructuring. Public procurement policies and the right to regulate
in the public interest are under threat."

Provisions in the draft text would prevent municipal governments from
applying local or ethical procurement strategies. A controversial dispute
mechanism is also proposed, similar to the one used under the North American
Free Trade Agreement that has allowed large multinationals to sue governments
for compensation over public health and environmental policies that limit
corporate profits.

EPSU general secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel adds, "We believe there is
no need for a deal that allows corporations to challenge local government
policies on purchasing or regulation. But as these negotiations gather speed,
we call on the European Commission and the Canadian government to contribute
to global welfare and decent work. We demand improved and not weakened
social, environmental and labour protections in any agreement."

Both PSI and EPSU register concerns that free trade negotiators will
ignore lessons from the current financial and economic crises that
demonstrate the danger of deregulation. Any deal, they say, must include
strengthened financial regulation in Canada and the EU and support a
financial transaction tax.

The text of the CETA document, plus analysis fact sheets can be found at:
www.tradejustice.ca (English) www.commercejuste.ca (French)

Public Services International (PSI) is a global trade union federation
that represents 20 million women and men working in the public services
around the world. It has 693 affiliated unions in 156 countries and
territories. PSI is an autonomous body, which works in association with
federations covering other sectors of the workforce and with the
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). PSI is an officially
recognised non-governmental organisation for the public sector within the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) and has consultative status with
ECOSOC and observer status with other bodies such as UNCTAD and the WTO.

For information please contact: Teresa Marshall, Public Services International +33-4-50-40-11-52. Penny Clarke, European Federation of Public Service Unions, +32-2-250-10-84