Controversial article 25 of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

The goal of CETA regarding to biotechnology is to overcome Canada’s issues with the European Union market called ‘market access issues’.

Canada is the 5^th largest producer of GM crops in the world, growing and exporting GM canola, corn, soy and white sugarbeet and Europe has not yet approved all of these same GM crops for human consumption. Taking this into consideration Europe needs to quickly approve GM foods and crops that being exported by Canada. In Poland the public debate has started, since GM food is thought as “worse” than the food produced in a conventional manner.

In addition, the Polish translation of the CETA had to be corrected, since the article 25.2 pt. 2d) which the original form is ‘to engage in regulatory cooperation to minimise adverse trade impacts of regulatory practices related to biotechnology products’ has been mistranslated thereby it had the opposite meaning in Polish.

The information was prepared by Kamil Trzaskoś of KG Legal Polish Law Firm. KG Legal provides specialised legal assistance to IT, Life Science as well as investment processes in Poland and organises networking between Polish and international companies and research centres.

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The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was adopted by the Council and signed at the EU-Canada Summit on 30 October 2016. CETA will create jobs and strengthen economic relations between the EU and Canada.

See the full text of the Agreement

What will CETA introduce:

– helping to create growth and jobs at home

– ending custom duties

– letting EU businesses bid for Canadian public contracts

– stepping-up regulatory cooperation

– protecting European innovations, artists and traditional products

– opening up trade in services

– promoting investment

– ensuring good cooperation in future

– protecting democracy, consumers and the environment.

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