About the CETA Market Access Program

The CETA Market Access Program for EU Businesses

With nearly 90 billion euro exchanged annually EU Member States and Canada are key trading partners. By creating a free trade zone between Canada and the 28 Member States of the European Union and greatly facilitating cross-border trade in goods and services and foreign direct investment (FDI), the recently concluded Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is set to further expand this strong partnership.

The Market Access Support Program for EU Businesses in Canada in the CETA Context (CETA Market Access Program for EU Businesses) was launched in January 2017 by the EU with the threefold objectives to:

Help EU business, and particularly small and medium sized enterprises, to gain comprehensive, sector-specific information about the new opportunities that CETA will bring.

Identify existing market access barriers in Canada on both federal and provincial levels, and to provide recommendations to the EU Institutions, EU business associations, networks and chambers for defining adequate mitigating strategies.

Create a sustainable channel of communication between EU businesses in or seeking to enter Canada and institutional stakeholders.

The CETA Market Access Program for EU Businesses will improve the supply and consolidation of information necessary to facilitate EU business activities and exports to Canada under new opportunities created by CETA. This will be in liaison with the parallel direct grant for the EUCCAN to consolidate the actions of individual EU Member State Chambers of Commerce and serve as a designated point of contact for European business interests in Canada.

During the course of implementation, the CETA Market Access Program for EU Businesses will build a repository and network of legal resources for the EU Delegation to Canada to monitor implementation of CETA and advise EU Member State Trade Counsellors and European economic operators established or seeking entry into Canada. The Program will involve frequent and sustained communication with a range of actors relevant to Canada-EU trade, including public officials (federal and provincial; EU and MS representatives), EU businesses, EUCCAN and Member State Chambers of Commerce, among others.

The CETA Market Access Program for EU Businesses will consist of two primary areas of work – (a) legal and policy monitoring, analysis, reporting, and recommendations; and (b) communications, engagement and networking with EU stakeholders and Canadian contacts – corresponding with the core results to be achieved, namely (i) putting EU businesses in a better position to take advantage of the CETA and better information for the EU Delegation to provide support; and (ii) establishing durable communication channels between EU businesses and market access stakeholders.

Activities delivered to realize these expected results will include a series of analytical reports covering:

The Road Map Report “CETA Implementation in Canada – Study” detailing the steps the Canadian government are taking in implementation of the CETA in Canada
The Barriers Report on existing market access and barriers for EU enterprises in Canada at both federal and provincial levels
The Expert Report “Market access opportunities for EU business in Canada in the context of CETA” which includes information on how to address challenges and benefit from opportunities in accessing the Canadian market. Learn more about the Expert Report by clicking here.

These reports will be implemented in parallel with the development of a strategic Communications Platform, annual stakeholder Workshops, and creation of a database of key policy contacts at the federal and provincial levels of government in Canada. Learn more about the Institutional Market Access Database by clicking here.

In addition, the Program Team will provide 3 ad-hoc reports on legal and business issues that are identified by the European Delegation to Canada as requiring targeted analysis. These reports include:

Market Access Barriers for EU Alcoholic Beverages in Canada
Guide to Geographical Indications in Canada – A Practical Business Guide
How EU Businesses Can Take Advantage of Public Procurement Opportunities in Canada under the CETA – A Practical Business Guide

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This Program is being implemented by DEVELOPMENT Solutions in cooperation with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG). The Program Team will be working closely with the EUCCAN.

Research outputs of the study are being coordinated by the Program’s Key Expert, Mr. Gregory Tereposky. Mr. Tereposky is a partner at the Ottawa office of BLG. He has practised international trade and investment law since 1992, representing private companies, industries and governments. He is an accomplished expert in the delivery of high level trade analysis and foreign enterprise initiatives, with over 25 years of international trade and investment law experience.

Mr. Tereposky will be drawing upon a large pool of sector and topical experts who are available to provide technical inputs and assistance throughout Program implementation. The pool of experts consists of both Canadian and international experts who have extensive experience either in market entry, business support, trade or investment or other relevant practice areas of law.