CETA Trade and Sustainable Development Committee - Joint Work Plan 2024-2026 - Proposed Themes/Activities
On this page
- Action Area 1: Joint Committee Recommendation on Trade and Gender
- Action Area 2: Follow-up to the Joint Committee Recommendation on Trade, Climate and the Paris Agreement
- Action Area 3: Implementation of CSR/RBC Commitments
- Action Area 4: Implementation of Environment Chapter Commitments
- Action Area 5: Implementation of Labour Chapter Commitments
- Action Area 6: Implementation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Recommendation
Action Area 1: Joint Committee Recommendation on Trade and Gender
Objectives (2023-2024)
Collaboration on:
- Update Trade and Gender Work Plan and implement up to two activities in 2023-2024.
- Trade and gender in the WTO.
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
- Trade, Gender and SMEs presentation by Canada’s Chief Economist at the CETA Civil Society Forum (Ottawa, March 2024).
- Roundtable discussion on supporting women in international trade by the delegation of the EU to Canada (Toronto, April 2024).
Objectives (2024-2026)
Update Trade and Gender Work Plan and implement up to two activities in 2024-2026.
Potential activities (2024-2026)
- Continue Canada-EU video conferences/webinars to exchange information on a variety of issues such as STEM and those outlined in the EU-Canada work plan for implementing CETA Trade and Gender recommendation.
- Work together at WTO to implement trade and gender activities at the WTO and within the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender.
Action Area 2: Follow-up to the Joint Committee Recommendation on Trade, Climate and the Paris Agreement
1. Carbon pricing
Objectives (2023-2024)
- Working together to expand the use of carbon pricing globally.
- Continue monitoring of developments on BCAs/CBAM and organizing further technical exchanges to understand considerations and impacts.
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
- Canadian and EU leaders and senior officials jointly participated in international events promoting carbon pricing globally, including at international events such as COP28 and the Climate Ambition Summit at the United Nations.
- Exchanges at all levels in the context of the EU CBAM’s transitional phase.
- The European Union joined the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge (GCPC) as a Partner in November 2023 and participated in GCPC meetings at the strategic and expert levels.
Objectives (2024-2026)
- Continued cooperation on the joint promotion of carbon pricing globally.
- Information sharing and cooperation in the context of the EU CBAM’s implementation process.
Potential activities (2024-2026)
- Joint participation in Global Carbon Pricing Challenge’s Advisory Committee, Technical Working Group, expert workshops, external events, and outreach activities.
- Bilateral information exchanges
2. Cooperation in trade and climate at WTO
Objectives (2023-2024)
- Working together through the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) at the WTO on environmental goods and services, trade-related climate measures, circular economy, and subsidies.
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
NIL
Objectives (2024-2026)
- Working together through the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) at the WTO on environmental goods and services, trade-related climate measures, circular economy, and subsidies
Potential activities (2024-2026)
As more focussed work will be undertaken by the four TESSD working groups, leading up to the February 2026 Ministerial Conference, assess the feasibility of organizing a Canada-EU information exchange between experts, subject to available resources, on the following topics:
- Environmental Goods & Services
- Trade-related climate measures
- Circular Economy
- Subsidies
Action Area 3: Implementation of CSR/RBC Commitments
1. Good labour and environmental practices
Objectives (2023-2024)
- Explore collaboration opportunities in approaching countries and companies to encourage good labour and environmental practices.
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
Canada, the EU and its Member States collaborate regularly on RBC issues through the OECD Working Party on RBC. Recent achievements of the working party have included the completion of once-in-a-decade updates to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on RBC (adopted in 2023), and negotiation of the Declaration on Promoting and Enabling RBC in the Global Economy (adopted in 2023). The European Union adhered to the Declaration in its own right, alongside Canada and 49 other country adherents to the Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises.
Objectives (2024-2026)
Explore collaboration opportunities in approaching countries and companies to encourage RBC best practices.
Potential activities (2024-2026)
Continue bilateral cooperation on RBC issues through the OECD Working Party on RBC.
2. Forced labour and child labour
Objectives (2023-2024)
- Share experience and best practices to address forced labour and child labour (cross-cutting with the trade and labour cooperation)
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
Completed: Canada and the EU have discussed various ways of tackling forced labour and child labour, as well as the continued importance of promoting freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Action Area 4: Implementation of Environment Chapter Commitments
1. Chemicals management
Objectives (2023-2024)
Sharing experience and best practices on:
- enhancing supply chain transparency for chemicals in products
- integrating green chemistry principles across
- industries and policy frameworks
- initiatives and methodology to determine the environmental footprint of products
- initiatives on sustainable products
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
NIL
Objectives (2024-2026)
- Sharing experience and best practices on labelling.
Potential activities (2024-2026)
Canada-EU information exchange between experts to share information and best practices on labelling.
2. Plastics pollution and circular economy
Objectives (2023-2024)
- Supporting collaboration on plastics pollution through various initiatives, including the Ocean Plastics Charter.
- Contributing to the development of a new global agreement on plastic pollution in support of the global shift to a circular economy.
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
Canada-EU webinar on circular economy and plastic waste during European Sustainable Energy Week, on June 7, 2023.
Objectives (2024-2026)
- Contributing to the development of a new global agreement on plastic pollution in support of the global shift to a circular economy.
Potential activities (2024-2026)
Attend future INCs, as well as intersessional meetings, including those held by the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution by 2040 to develop an ambitious global agreement on plastic pollution.
Action Area 5: Implementation of Labour Chapter Commitments
1. Labour initiatives and engagements in third countries
Objectives (2023-2024)
Share EU and Canada's respective actions on labour in selected third countries (unilateral, bilateral and multilateral) to identify next steps and coordinate where appropriate.
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
Completed: EU and Canada have shared respective labour initiatives and engagements in third countries.
Objectives (2024-2026)
Further collaboration and coordination between the Parties to maximize the impacts of their respective initiatives in support of compliance with fundamental labour rights and principles, domestically, bilaterally and multilaterally.
Advance policy coordination to address the developing and changing trade and economic security issues, including approaches to trade agreements or domestic industrial policies.
Potential activities (2024-2026)
- Share information on areas of cooperation in third countries to promote and protect workers’ rights and decent work.
- Exchange perspectives, best practices and experiences with the design and implementation of legislative and policy measures to tackle labour exploitation in global supply chains.
- Share perspectives on evolving trade and labour policies of mutual interest relevant to this chapter that may advance the social dimensions of trade, including labour rights and issues such as friendshoring and protectionism.
2. ILO projects and technical assistance work in third countries
Objectives (2023-2024)
Canada and EU to provide updates on ILO projects and technical assistance work in third countries, so that Parties can see where priorities align and find synergies in practical operations.
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
Completed: Canada and the EU have discussed various ways of tackling forced labour and child labour, as well as the continued importance of promoting freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Objectives (2024-2026)
Canada and EU to provide updates on ILO projects and technical assistance work in third countries, so that Parties can see where priorities align and find synergies in practical operations.
Potential activities (2024-2026)
Work collaboratively to promote the critical intersection between trade policy and labour rights, including in the context of the International Labour Organization’s Global Coalition for Social Justice.
Action Area 6: Implementation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Recommendation
Objectives (2023-2024)
Draw a new CETA SME Action Plan 2025-2027.
Work Plan Activities Accomplished (2023-2024)
- In March 2023, Canadian and EU officials held an internal data exchange discussion focused on sharing experiences on how to consult and engage SMEs on trade policies and domestic programmes related to trade.
- Trade, Gender and SMEs presentation by Canada’s Chief Economist at the CETA Civil Society Forum (Ottawa, March 2024).
Objectives (2024-2026)
Meet and draw a new CETA SME Action Plan with activities for 2025-2027.
Potential activities (2024-2026)
Activities will be carried out in line with the new CETA Action Plan 2025-2027.
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