Analys: Ceta-käbblet glöms inte i första taget

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a proposed free-trade agreement between Canada and the European Union. If enacted, the agreement would eliminate 98% of the tariffs between Canada and the EU. CETA would also broaden the authority of investor-state dispute settlement where corporations can sue governments. The negotiations were concluded in August 2014 with the agreement to be approved by the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and all EU member states. The EU claims the treaty will lead to savings of just over half a billion euros in taxes for EU exporters every year, mutual recognition in regulated professions such as architects, accountants and engineers, and easier transfers of company staff and other professionals between the EU and Canada. The European Commission claims CETA will create a more level playing field between Canada and the EU on intellectual property rights. Critics oppose the treaty on the grounds that it will weaken European consumer rights, including those concerning food safety, and that tariffs are already very low. It has also been criticized as a boon only for big business and multinational corporations, while risking net-losses, unemployment, and environmental damage impacting individual citizens. The proposal has prompted protests in Europe and Canada.