Appeared in the Toronto Star on August 12, 2012 as Billions at Stake if Canada Caves on Drug Patent Demands The negotiations over a Canada – European Union trade agreement may be approaching the final stretch as both sides say they plan to wrap up the CETA talks by the […]

Cooperation in the Pacific Rim by Jakob Polacsek, World Economic Forum (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldeconomicforum/48179628441
Digital Trade
CETA Update, Part Two: ACTA Provisions Are Still Very Much Alive
Steve Verheul, the lead Canadian negotiator for the Canada – EU Trade Agreement, provided an update on the CETA negotiations last week on a call with civil society groups. My first post on the call included an update on the timing of future rounds, the lack of transparency with the […]
CETA Update, Part One: Political Decision on Pharma Patents in the Fall
Second, when asked about the lack of transparency associated with CETA, Verheul confirmed that both the EU and Canada oppose the release of the text until the agreement is concluded. He argued that the draft text may create an inaccurate picture of where the negotiations stand and that the most difficult issues are often addressed via face-to-face discussions rather than with the exchange of text.
TPP Fair Use Proposal Leaks Raising Concerns About New Restrictions
KEI has posted a leaked version of the U.S. fair use proposal for the Trans Pacific Partnership. The leak raises significant concerns about the language that may create new restrictions. It also highlights a divide among TPP countries (Canada has yet to participate in the negotiations) with Australia supporting the […]
USTR Launches Consultation on Canada’s Entry to TPP
The USTR has launched a public consultation on Canada’s proposed entry to the Trans Pacific Partnership talks.The deadline for comments is September 4, 2012. A hearing is scheduled for September 24, 2012.