From 10 to 13 November 2014, the Canada-Europe
Parliamentary Association sent a delegation of six parliamentarians to
Brussels, Belgium to meet with a range of European Union (EU) stakeholders,
including parliamentarians and representatives from EU institutions. Mr. David
Tilson, Member of Parliament (M.P.) was the Head of Delegation, which also
included the Honourable Senator Michel Rivard; Mr. Corneliu Chisu, M.P.;
Mr. Don Davies, M.P.; Mr. Scott Simms, M.P.; and the Honourable Senator
Grant Mitchell. The delegation was accompanied by Association Secretary,
Ms. Guyanne Desforges, and Advisor, Ms. Laura Barnett. In Brussels, the
delegation was hosted by His Excellency David Plunkett, Ambassador of
Canada to the European Union, who attended meetings with the delegation along
with representatives from Canada’s Mission to the European Union, including
Mr. Alan Bowman, Deputy Head of Mission; Mr. Colin Barker, First
Secretary for Trade and Economic Policy; and Ms. Meghan Lau, Second Secretary
for Parliamentary Affairs and Foreign Policy. During the mission, the
delegation participated in its 36th Inter-Parliamentary Meeting with
the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada.
While in Belgium, the delegation also participated
in activities aimed at fostering Canada-Belgium relations, hosted by His
Excellency Mr. Denis Robert, Ambassador of Canada to the Kingdom of
Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Mr. Peter Ivanszky, political
officer from Canada’s Embassy to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg. As part of these activities, the delegation travelled to Ypres,
where the delegation attended a service at St. Martin’s Cathedral and had
the honour of participating in the “Last Post” ceremony at the Menin Gate where
Mr. Tilson, Senator Mitchell, and Mr. Davies laid a wreath on behalf
of the Parliament of Canada in honour of the soldiers who died in the Ypres
Salient during the First World War. The delegation then attended a
commemoration ceremony at Tyne Cot Cemetery – the largest cemetery for
Commonwealth forces in the world – organized by the United Kingdom and German
Embassies, where Mr. Tilson laid a wreath on behalf of the Parliament of
Canada in honour of the soldiers buried there.
The delegation then travelled to Berlin, Germany
to participate in meetings with stakeholders, parliamentarians and officials
with respect to the Canada-Europe Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
(CETA) on 14 November 2014. In Berlin, the delegation was hosted by Her Excellency
Marie Gervais-Vidricaire, Ambassador of Canada to Germany, who attended
meetings with the delegation along with representatives from Canada’s Embassy
to Germany, including Mr. Thomas Marr, Minister Counsellor, Senior Trade
Commissioner; Mr. Richard Tarasofsky, Counsellor, Senior Trade
Commissioner; Ms. Deborah Paul, Counsellor, Political Affairs; and
Ms. Heike Echterhölter, Political Affairs Officer.
Finally, from 17 to 20 November 2014, the
delegation travelled to Riga, Latvia, the country that will next hold the
rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. While in Riga, the
delegation was hosted by Ms. Jeanette Stovel, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the
Canadian Embassies to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, who attended meetings with
the delegation along with Ms. Aija Matule, General Relations and Public
Affairs Officer at Canada’s Embassy to Latvia. In addition to its meetings with
parliamentarians, government officials, and representatives of think tanks and
business associations, on 18 November 2014, the delegation had the honour of
participating in ceremonies surrounding Latvia’s National Day, laying a wreath
on behalf of the Parliament of Canada at the Monument of Freedom, attending the
ceremonial sitting of Latvia’s parliament devoted to the 96th
anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia, witnessing the
National Armed Forces Parade, and being given a guided tour of the Museum of
the Occupation of Latvia.
Prior to departure from Canada, the delegation was
briefed by officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and
Development; Natural Resources Canada; Environment Canada; and Citizenship and
Immigration Canada. It also held a working lunch with Her Excellency
Marie-Anne Coninsx, Ambassador of the European Union to Canada; His Excellency
Raoul Delcorde, Ambassador of Belgium to Canada; His Excellency Werner Wnendt,
Ambassador of Germany to Canada; and His Excellency Juris Audariņš,
Ambassador of Latvia to Canada.
This report provides an overview of the delegation’s
meetings in Brussels discussing issues relevant to Canada-EU relations,
meetings in Berlin discussing CETA in particular, and meetings in Latvia
related to the country’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European
Union.
Mission to the European Union in Brussels
From 10 to 13
November 2014, the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association’s delegation held
meetings in Brussels, Belgium to discuss key issues in Canada-EU relations,
including CETA, the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA), the EU’s proposed
measures to implement the Fuel Quality Directive, the current situation in
Ukraine, and foreign fighters and terrorism. During the course of its visit,
the delegation met with EU parliamentarians, representatives of EU
institutions, state representatives to the EU, and the Speaker of the Belgian
Chamber of Representatives. In addition, the delegation was briefed by
officials from the Canadian Mission to the European Union.
Meeting with Ms. Christiane Hoehn, Advisor to
the EU Counter-terrorism Coordinator
The delegation’s
mission began in a meeting with Ms. Christiane Hoehn, Advisor to the EU
Counter-terrorism Coordinator. Ms. Hoehn provided an overview of EU initiatives
to combat terrorism, with particular emphasis on responses to the Islamic State
and EU citizens leaving the continent to join in that conflict. She pointed out
that although national security and intelligence service work falls under EU
member state jurisdiction, the EU adopted a strategy on counter-terrorism in
2005 after the bombings Madrid in order to bring the relevant players together;
share best practices; create tools for law enforcement to work together in the
areas of aviation security, border security, evidence standardization, etc; and
provide funding for projects in third countries. In relation to the Islamic
State, she noted the large numbers of foreign fighters from EU nations and
highlighted the measures that the EU is taking to deal with the problem,
including placing emphasis on understanding motivation and preventing
departure; better communication and partnership with communities; better use of
the Schengen partnership to detect suspicious travel; and a focus on
rehabilitation, surveillance and prosecution upon the return of such
individuals. She emphasized that creating an effective counter-narrative to the
Islamic State is paramount, as is focusing on de-radicalization in communities.
Hotlines are available for parents in many countries, and emphasis is being
placed on community policing and integration of policing with social services.
She also mentioned the careful balance that should be struck when taking
actions that can lead to further radicalization of individuals in Europe.
In response to questions from the delegation, Ms.
Hoehn emphasized that the Schengen border is unlikely to change in response to
these issues, although there may be need to examine it closely to determine if
reforms are needed. She highlighted the importance of taking human rights and
privacy concerns into consideration when undertaking counter-terrorism
initiatives. She also explained that the identification of what is terrorism
hinges on whether there is terrorist intent. Finally, Ms. Hoehn encouraged
Canada to integrate itself further with EU counter-terrorism initiatives,
including through Europol, Eurojustice, and treaties on mutual legal
assistance.
Briefing with His Excellency Yves Brodeur,
Permanent Representative of Canada to the North Atlantic Council; His
Excellency David Plunkett, Ambassador of Canada to the European Union; and Mission
Staff
Ambassador David
Plunkett began the briefing session at the Embassy with a summary of some of
the key issues facing the European Union today, including significant
institutional change, with the new Parliament, the new Commission, and the new
President of the European Council; the state of the European economy; and the
rise of euroskepticism. He went on to delve into some of the prominent issues
in Canada-EU relations: next steps for CETA at the EU level and controversy
surrounding the inclusion of the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS)
provision in CETA; the relevance of SPA; and discussions surrounding energy
supply and climate change in Canada and Europe. On this latter point,
Ambassador Plunkett highlighted Europe’s dependency on Russia for its energy
needs and discussed the EU’s revised proposal for implementation of the EU’s
Fuel Quality Directive that may open the market somewhat to Canadian oil. He
also highlighted the opportunities for constructive dialogue between Canada and
Europe with respect to climate change and environmental commitments. Ambassador
Plunkett went on to discuss the current situation on the Arctic Council, the
recent agreement between Canada and the EU with respect to indigenously hunted
seal products, and opening the door to EU observer status. Ambassador Yves
Brodeur emphasized the importance of the Arctic Council as a forum for dialogue
and cooperation among diverse nations.
Ambassador Brodeur also provided the delegation
with an overview of Canada’s and key European nations’ role in the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) operations today and many of the current
security issues facing Europe. In this context, he highlighted many areas of
common interest to the EU and NATO, including tensions between Russia and
Ukraine, cyber-defence, counter-terrorism, and energy security. He emphasized
the importance of the September 2014 NATO Summit in Wales and NATO’s current
readiness to respond to threats in the East. However, Ambassador Brodeur was
reluctant to characterize current tensions with Russia as a “new Cold War,”
particularly given ongoing communication and cooperation between Russia and
NATO allies on a variety of issues.
Finally, Ms. Cindy Munro, Counsellor at the
Mission of Canada to the EU, spoke to the delegation about the current status
of Canadian visa obligations for Romanians and Bulgarians, emphasizing the
recent progress made for Romania in recent months through the business express
programme and the recognition of Romania as a designated country of origin for
asylum purposes.
Working Lunch on Ukraine with Ambassador David
Plunkett, think tanks and Heads of Mission from EU Member States
At a working lunch
to discuss the on-going conflict in Ukraine, the delegation met with Ambassador
Plunkett; Ambassador Anders Ahnlid, Permanent Representative of Sweden;
Ambassador Raimunudas Karoblis, Permanent Representative of Lithuania;
Ambassador Salomé Samadashvili, visiting Fellow at the Wilfred Martens Centre
for European Studies and former Head of Mission to the EU for Georgia; Ms.
Amanda Paul, policy analyst and senior programme executive at the European
Policy Centre; and Ms. Caroline Vinot, Counsellor at the Permanent
Representation of France at the EU. One of the primary concerns expressed at
this lunch, particularly by Ms. Paul and Ambassador Samadashvili, related to
the need for a viable government in Ukraine to ensure that effective reforms
are carried out. There was a fear that “Ukraine fatigue” may be setting in and
that it was important for Europe and Canada to maintain sanctions against
Russia. Ambassador Karoblis noted the negative impact that sanctions are having
on Lithuania, particularly given Lithuania’s dependence on Russia for its
energy needs – energy is an important factor in the Ukraine-Russia crisis. However,
he noted that Lithuania is beginning to find alternative energy solutions and
the sanctions are working – security must be paramount. Ambassador Ahnlid also
emphasized the importance of the sanctions and of cooperation among democratic
nations, as well as finding ways to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas. There
was also some discussion among participants of the implications of increased
Russian military activity in the Baltic region and other Russian spheres of
influence.
Meeting with Mr. Fernando Andresen Guimaraes,
Head of Division for Canada and the United States of America, European External
Action Service
The delegation met
with Mr. Fernando Andresen Guimaraes, Head of Division for Canada and the
United States of America at the European External Action Service (EEAS), the
EU’s foreign policy branch. Ambassador Coninsx was also in attendance. Mr.
Guimaraes began with an overview of EU-Canada relations from a foreign policy
perspective, with emphasis on CETA, SPA, security and defence, energy security
and the Arctic. The delegation spent considerable time probing the ratification
process for CETA at the EU level, discussing procedures at the Council of the
European Union and the issue of whether the trade agreement is one of mixed
competence or not. Mr. Stephan Marquardt, Deputy head of the EEAS Legal Affairs
Division, delved into the technicalities of the ratification process, while Mr.
Guimaraes emphasized that fact that even if CETA is determined to be a “mixed”
agreement, a significant proportion of it can nevertheless be implemented
provisionally. Ratification at the EU member state level will not hold up
implementation of the bulk of the agreement. Ambassador Coninsx pointed out
that the mixed nature of the EU-Singapore trade agreement is currently being
considered by the European Court of Justice, and that this decision should
ultimately provide some guidance for the EU with respect to how to interpret
CETA. Mr. Guimaraes also discussed the ramifications of the EU’s trade
negotiations with the United States (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership, or TTIP) as having brought the controversial issue of
investor-state dispute settlement to the forefront, but argued that this was a
good opportunity to demonstrate how ISDS provisions could operate and dispel
fears. Finally, the delegation discussed the linkages between CETA and SPA. Mr.
Guimaraes emphasized that the EU usually links the bilateral trade agreements
that it signs to bilateral cooperation agreements such as SPA. However, faced
with Canadian concerns about direct linkages between the two agreements, and
because SPA is the first such bilateral agreement that the EU has signed with a
developed country, the EU accepted a modified approach that does not create a
legally binding linkage to CETA in the case of a serious violation of essential
SPA commitments. It is unclear whether the EU will negotiate such a cooperation
agreement with the United States in tandem with the TTIP negotiations.
Breakfast meeting with Mr. Siegfried Bracke,
President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, and Ambassador Denis
Robert
The delegation met
for breakfast with Mr. Siegfried Bracke, President of the Belgian Chamber of
Representatives, to discuss issues of relevance to Canada-Belgian relations,
accompanied by Ambassador Robert. The meeting began with a discussion of the 22
October 2014 attack in the Canadian Parliament and a discussion of security in
the parliamentary precinct in Belgium, as well as domestic terrorism. The Ambassador
emphasized the good relationship between Canada and Belgium on security
issues. President Bracke also led a discussion on the structure of the Belgian
parliament and the role of the Senate, as well as delving into some reflections
on current Belgian government economic policies that have led to protests in
Brussels. The language divides in Belgium and in Canada were also a topic of
interest, with President Bracke and delegates noting that it seemed that
French-English tensions had diminished in Canada in recent years, while there
was little sense of national cohesion in Belgium, with very separate realities
for French-speaking and Dutch-speaking populations. The breakfast concluded
with a discussion of how Canada deals with immigration flows and integration,
with Ambassador Robert pointing out that the logistics of immigration flows are
significantly different for Europe and Canada.
Meeting with Mr. Sandy Boyle, President of
the European Economic and Social Committee Follow-Up Committee on Trade
The delegation met
with Mr. Sandy Boyle, President of the European Economic and Social Committee
Follow-Up Committee on Trade. The European Economic and Social Committee is an
advisory body of the European Union made up of 353 civil society
representatives organized into employer, employee and other interest groupings.
Mr. Boyle represents the employees group. Mr. Boyle began the meeting with a
presentation of the economic situation in Europe, noting the patchy economic
recovery of member states in the Eurozone and the potential importance of CETA
in this context. He placed some emphasis on the serious problem of poverty in
Europe as a consequence of austerity measures, and noted the huge surge in
youth unemployment. With respect to CETA, Mr. Boyle highlighted civil society
concerns, noting that Canada has little to fear from the EU on procurement
issues. Of particular importance, he noted the controversy surrounding the ISDS
provisions, an issue that divides employees and employers, including the need
to address concerns about definitions (for example, of “frivolous claims” and
“fair and equitable treatment”), as well as fears surrounding the fact that
disputes will be decided by a private tribunal. He emphasized the unprecedented
size of feedback that was received in the EU public consultation on ISDS and
the need for broad-based involvement of civil society. Finally, he highlighted
that discussions surrounding CETA are integrally linked to the EU’s negotiations
with the US on TTIP. Moving on to other topics, Mr. Boyle responded to
questions from the delegation by highlighting the importance of labour mobility
for skilled technical labour, and the need to think carefully about the age of
retirement in the context of youth unemployment.
Working lunch with Mr. Bernd Kölmel, Chair of
the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada, and other
Members of the European Parliament
The Canadian
delegation met for a working lunch with Mr. Bernd Kölmel, Chair of the European
Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada; as well as Ms. Godelieve
Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Vice Chair of the delegation; and Ms. Kathleen Van Brempt,
another member of the delegation. The lunch began with words of welcome and
introductions, as the composition of the European Parliament’s Delegation for
Relations with Canada has changed since the European elections and the Canadian
delegation did not know the new members. Mr. Kölmel provided a brief overview
of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group’s perspective on the importance
of recognizing subsidiarity within the European Union context, as some issues,
such as social welfare, are often very specific to individual nations. All
members then began a discussion of energy and environmental concerns, including
a conversation about Canada’s oil sands and the Fuel Quality Directive. Members
of the European Delegation mentioned interest in seeing a report mentioned in
this discussion – the 2013 Final Report of ICF International, “Independent
Assessment of the European Commission’s Fuel Quality Directive’s ‘Conventional’
Default Value,” which highlights the comparability of Canadian crude with the
Russian and Nigerian crude currently bought by European nations. Members also
discussed the possibility of a pipeline that could supply Canadian oil to
Europe, and the environmental concerns, as well as aboriginal treaty rights,
that need to be dealt with in this context.
Meeting with Members of the European Parliament
from the Committee on International Trade
The delegation was
joined by Ambassador Plunkett for a roundtable discussion on CETA with various
members of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade,
including Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Mr. Artis Pabriks, who is
official rapporteur for CETA. Mr. Pabriks emphasized that the Group of the
European People’s Party generally supports CETA, recognizing the agreement’s
importance for transatlantic relations beyond trade. Mr. Sorin Moisă
indicated that the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and
Democrats in the European Parliament was also generally favourable to CETA,
provided that concerns with respect to public services and ISDS were taken
seriously and addressed in good faith. Mr. Yannick Jadot, however, noted that
the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance had serious concerns about
globalization and privatization with respect to CETA, and saw ISDS as the
incarnation of these fears. The Group will not be supporting the agreement. Ms.
Anne-Marie Mineur also emphasized that the Confederal Group of the European
United Left – Nordic Green Left were opposed to CETA because of fears that
individuals would lose out to large companies and because of concerns about the
supranational direction that the EU had taken on in this and other respects. Mr.
Pabriks emphasized that it is the duty of parliamentarians to clarify the
agreement for the public in order to address their fears.
Meeting with Member of the European Parliament and
Rapporteur on Arctic Issues, Mr. Michael Gahler
The delegation
ended the day in a meeting with MEP Michael Gahler, rapporteur for the European
Parliament on Arctic Issues; Mr. Steffen Weber, Secretary General of the EU
Arctic Forum; and Ambassador Coninsx. Mr. Weber began the meeting with an
overview of the EU Arctic Forum as a bridge builder to stakeholders in the
Arctic, and noting that Canada’s objection to EU observer status at the Arctic
Council had now been lifted. Mr. Gahler, Mr. Simms and Ambassador Coninsx
discussed the practical implications of the recent joint EU-Canada agreement
with respect to indigenous seal products. Mr. Gahler went on to highlight
issues of importance for the EU in the Arctic, including research, the
development of energy resources for European companies, and the significant
potential for engagement and cooperation with other nations through this Arctic
lens. He mentioned the possibility of working together on common projects with
Canada, such as cartography in uncharted waters. Mr. Weber also highlighted the
possibilities for economic cooperation among nations involved in the Arctic,
including through investments and the development of new technologies.
36th Inter-Parliamentary Meeting with
the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada
The delegation’s
last day in Brussels was dedicated to its 36th Inter-Parliamentary
Meeting with the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada. The
morning began in the Plenary Chamber of the European Parliament, as the
Canadian delegation observed a series of votes from the diplomatic gallery. Vice-President
of the European Parliament, Mr. Antonio Tajani, took a moment during
proceedings to publicly welcome the Canadian delegation to Brussels,
highlighting the 22 October attack at the Parliament buildings and the solidarity
of European parliamentarians with their Canadian counterparts. This greeting
was followed by a lunch in the Presidential dining room at the Parliament,
hosted by Vice-President Tajani and attended by the European Parliament’s
Delegation for Relations with Canada; Ambassador Coninsx; Ambassador Plunkett;
Christian Leffler, Managing Director for the Americas at the European External
Action Service; and staff from the European Parliament and Canada’s Mission to
the EU.
Members of the Canadian delegation and the
European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada then took part in a
working session focussing on CETA and SPA. Ambassadors Coninsx and Plunkett,
and Mr. Leffler were also in attendance. Mr. Leffler provided an overview of
Canada-EU relations and the importance of CETA and SPA as the foundation of a
new partnership. He also highlighted a few outstanding issues in this
relationship: concerns with respect to visa reciprocity for Bulgaria and
Romania, a request for Canadian participation in a European advisory committee
on Ukraine, the need for a better structure for dialogue on energy concerns,
and the need for the EU to achieve formal observer status at the Arctic
Council. He finished by emphasizing the need to work together to deal with
Russia. European and Canadian parliamentarians and Ambassador Plunkett also
engaged in an exchange on concerns with respect to CETA. Responding to a
question on the quality of Canadian meat under CETA, Ambassador Plunkett noted
that CETA was not an indication of a “regulatory race to the bottom” – the
overall outcome of the agreement is balanced and fully respects health and
safety concerns. There was also a discussion about ISDS and the impact on
public services that have been privatized (the so called “ratchet effect”). Mr.
Victor Negrescu asked about expected timelines for visas to be lifted for
Romania and was told about recent progress and high level meetings in this
area. Mr. Ricardo Serrão Santos emphasized the importance of maintaining focus
on the Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation which is mentioned in
SPA. The meeting ended with a discussion of ratification processes at the EU
level for both CETA and SPA, and the fact that SPA is a mixed agreement so will
need to be ratified by national parliaments, as well as at the EU level.
Mr. Bernd Kölmel concluded by noting that the
European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada is planning a
mission to Canada in 2015. Mr. Tilson indicated that the Canada Europe
Parliamentary Association will be happy to host the European delegation during
the visit.
Mission to Berlin, Germany
The Canada-Europe
Parliamentary Association’s delegation held meetings in Berlin, Germany on 14
November 2014 to discuss key issues in Canada-EU relations, with particular
emphasis on CETA. During the course of its visit, the delegation met with
German parliamentarians, think tanks, experts and officials from the Ministry of
Economic Affairs and Energy. In addition, the delegation was briefed by
officials from Canada’s Embassy to Germany.
Briefing with Her Excellency Marie
Gervais-Vidricaire, Ambassador of Canada to Germany, and Embassy Staff
Her Excellency
Marie Gervais-Vidricaire welcomed the delegation to Germany and began the
briefing with an overview of German affairs from a Canadian perspective. She
highlighted the fact that Germany is an important player in modern Europe and
hopes to become further engaged, with more responsibilities, in international
affairs. Recent challenges in this regard include concerns about Russia
balanced against business concerns about the effect of sanctions, and recent
allegations of American electronic surveillance in Germany. In terms of the
economy, Germany has a strong industry-based economy and has recently begun to
move away from nuclear energy towards renewables. Germany currently imports a
significant portion of its gas, oil and coal from Russia and is now looking to
diversify its energy supply. With respect to CETA, Germany was originally
supportive of the agreement but may now have concerns about ISDS provisions in
CETA due to negotiations with the United States on TTIP. Germany is also
concerned about perceptions of lack of transparency in the CETA negotiation
process – the Social Democratic Party (which is part of the governing coalition
with the Christian Democratic Union) is taking this issue seriously before
giving its approval to CETA. Ambassador Gervais-Vidricaire emphasized the
importance of recognizing that lawsuits using the ISDS mechanism are rare under
the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and there is no reason to
believe that they would become more frequent with CETA. The ISDS mechanism in
CETA has also been modified to meet European needs, and the possibility of
frivolous claims has been virtually eliminated. Ambassador Gervais-Vidricaire
also emphasized the strong potential for access to procurement markets in
Canada and the EU through CETA. Mr. Thomas Marr, Minister Counsellor, Senior
Trade Commissioner, concluded the briefing by emphasizing that even if CETA is
found to be a mixed competence agreement, almost all of it could still be
provisionally implemented once approved at the EU level.
Roundtable Meeting with German Parliamentarians,
Think Tanks, Experts and Embassy Staff
The briefing with
the Ambassador was followed by a roundtable meeting organized by the Embassy
with a wide variety of German parliamentarians, think tanks, and experts, as
well as Embassy staff, with the aim of discussing CETA from a Canadian-German
perspective. Echoing Ambassador Gervais-Vidricaire’s earlier comments, a number
of speakers raised the issue of transparency during the negotiation process and
the fact that CETA has not yet been translated into German, so it is easy for misunderstandings
to propagate. While Canadian provinces were consulted early on in the
negotiation process, EU nations are only seeing the agreement post-negotiations.
Mr. Johann Saathoff (Member of Parliament for the Social Democratic Party)
noted that Germany is generally comfortable with ISDS mechanisms, which it has
included in many trade agreements in the past. However, there are specific
fears about the United States and ISDS that arise through CETA, particularly
looking at the way that the mechanism has been used under NAFTA, where the US
government has never lost in litigation (although US companies have lost).
Nevertheless, Mr. Marr of the Embassy highlighted the fact that fears expressed
in Canada before NAFTA came into effect were never ultimately realized. Mr.
Felix Neugart of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry emphasized that
what may be needed is clarification of the ISDS provisions, including
definitions of “expropriation” and “regulatory space.” There was also some
discussion among Mr. Neugart and Ms. Franziska Gross, Policy Advisor to a
Christian Democratic Union parliamentarian, about the need to help the small to
medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector to use the CETA process to build their
export capacity, and possibly tailor the ISDS provisions to their needs. Mr.
Michael Vollprecht of the EU Commission Office in Germany and Mr. Marr also
emphasized some of the measures that Canada had already taken to bring itself
into line with CETA requirements, including changes to intellectual property
laws. Ultimately, Mr. Wolfgang Müller, a Senior Economic Policy Advisor at the
Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group, and Mr. Saathoff, emphasized that
Germany is ultimately very favourable towards CETA, but the party wants to be
sure that society’s concerns, particularly the concerns of average workers
about ISDS, are heard so that the whole country can be behind the agreement.
Meeting with the Bundestag Economic Affairs and
Energy Committee
The delegation then
went to the German Parliament (Bundestag) to meet with members of the Economic
Affairs and Energy Committee to discuss CETA. The meeting was led by Deputy
Chairman, Mr. Klaus Barthel of the Social Democratic Party, raised German
concerns about ISDS. Mr. Klaus Ernst, of the Left Party indicated his party’s
concerns about transparency, the ratchet effect, and whether there is a need
for ISDS given the capacity of regular courts to deal with issues under CETA.
Dr. Matthias Heider of the Christian Democratic Union party, emphasized that
politics would clearly define each representative’s opinion at the meeting, but
that his party was generally happy with CETA. There was more transparency in
this trade negotiation process than in the past, and the German constitution
had strong enough investor protections that ISDS was unlikely to be a concern. Ms.
Andrea Wicklein of the Social Democratic Party noted that CETA was of great
importance for future cooperation and trade between Canada and Germany but that
public skepticism needs to be addressed, as well as fears that environmental
protections may be vulnerable to ISDS. She hoped that the agreement would be
found to be one of mixed competency so that EU member states would have a full
opportunity to have a transparent debate in their parliaments. Dr. Joachim
Pfeiffer of the Christian Democratic Union mentioned that it will be necessary
to deal with differences between common law and civil law systems when setting
up ISDS. The meeting ended on a positive note, with an emphasis on ensuring
that politicians and industry representatives respond to the inaccurate
mythologies being propagated by providing valid information and positive
messages about the benefits of CETA.
Working Lunch with Members of the German-Canadian
Parliamentary Friendship Group
The German-Canadian
Parliamentary Friendship Group, led by its Chair, Mr. Klaus-Peter Flosbach,
hosted a lunch for the Canadian delegation, Ambassador Gervais-Vidricaire and
Embassy staff. Mr. Flosbach welcomed the Canadian delegation with a few words
about the significance of 2014, commemorating the 100th anniversary
of the beginning of the First World War, and the 25th anniversary of
the fall of the Berlin Wall. Mr. Tilson followed with an overview of what the
Canadian delegation had heard so far in Brussels and Berlin, and both he and Ambassador
Gervais-Vidricaire provided a summary of the positive impact that CETA will
have for Canada, Germany, and the EU. On the issue of CETA, Mr. Jürgen Hardt of
the Christian Democratic Union emphasized that the agreement was likely to be
translated into German early in the new year. In the meantime, he noted that
ISDS is clearly the issue of importance to Germans at the moment. An expert
opinion was commissioned in Germany which concluded that ISDS is in line with
the German constitution – now the issue is open to political debate. Mr.
Alexander Ulrich of the Left Party expressed criticism of CETA, the lack of
transparency surrounding the agreement, and the fact that Germans are now being
told that there will be no opportunity to make changes to CETA or possibly even
ratify it at the national level. He asked about the degree of transparency
surrounding the agreement in Canada and emphasized the need to always remember
the larger picture – such as environmental standards – when moving forward. Dr.
Matthias Zimmer of the Christian Democratic Union noted that consumer
protection standards are similar in Canada and the EU and that diversity of
products will be a positive outcome of the agreement. He also raised the
example of Vattenfalls, a Swedish energy company that is currently suing the
Germany government because the country is moving away from nuclear energy. Dr.
Zimmer wondered whether having ISDS in place would make any difference in such
a situation. Mr. Bernd Rützel of the Social Democratic Party raised the fact
that Germany has included ISDS provisions in many other agreements but usually
only in agreements with countries that do not have internationally recognized
judicial systems. As such, it is unclear to some in Germany why ISDS is needed
in CETA. Mr. Harald Ebner of the Green party agreed that CETA is a good
agreement, but that the inclusion of ISDS needs to be re-examined. He also
highlighted concerns about non-tariff barriers and concerns surrounding
standards, such as non-genetically modified fodder.
Ambassador Gervais-Vidricaire responded to some of
these concerns by emphasizing that it is rare that trade negotiations are
conducted in a transparent manner – this is the nature of the beast. Canada
consulted with its provinces early because the EU was unwilling to enter into
negotiations unless the provinces had already signalled their agreement in
principle. She also emphasized that ISDS was necessary because judicial systems
were so varied across the 28 EU Member States. Mr. Flosbach concluded the lunch
by emphasizing that CETA is not TTIP, and needs to be seen independently from
negotiations with the United States. He noted the importance of the Canadian
delegation’s visit, highlighting the fact that one new member had joined the
Friendship Group during the course of the delegation’s visit.
Meeting at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and
Energy
The delegation
concluded its mission in Berlin in a meeting with State Secretary Matthias
Machnig at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. Mr. Machnig responded
to many of the concerns about CETA heard during the day by making it clear that
Germany has no intention of renegotiating CETA but simply wanted to clarify
some issues in the legal scrubbing process in order to mollify concerns and
satisfy the German public of the rationale behind the agreement. He emphasized
Germany’s strong interest in breaking down barriers to trade and expressed
confidence that CETA would be in force by the end of 2016. In response to a
question with respect to ISDS and the ratchet effect, he recognized the
possibility of suing under ISDS with respect of re-nationalization of public
utilities, but again emphasized the need to handle fear surrounding such issues
by convincing the public that CETA is ultimately in their interest.
The meeting ended with a discussion surrounding
climate change and German initiatives in this regard, and Mr. Machnig
emphasized that the economy is an important part of dealing with environmental
concerns. The strongest economy will also be the most efficient. He said that
if a country or company can reduce its energy and resource costs, it can become
more sustainable and competitive. Intelligent regulation and standards can lead
to innovation and new markets.
Mission to Riga, Latvia, the Country to Hold the Next Rotating
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
From 17 to 10 November 2014, the Canada-Europe
Parliamentary Association’s delegation held meetings in Riga, Latvia to learn
about the country’s priorities for its upcoming Presidency of the Council of
the European Union, and discuss key issues in Canada-EU relations, including
CETA, energy security, the current situation in Ukraine, and security in the
Baltic states. During the course of its visit, the delegation met with Latvian
parliamentarians, EU parliamentarians, representatives of think tanks and
business associations, government officials, and representatives from the NATO
Centre of Excellence in Riga. In addition, the delegation was briefed by
officials from the Canada’s Embassy to Latvia.
Briefing with Ms. Jeanette, Chargé d’affaires a.i.
for the Canadian Embassies to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and Ms. Aija
Matule, General Relations and Public Affairs Officer at Canada’s Embassy to
Latvia
In her welcome and
briefing to the delegation, Ms. Jeanette Stovel provided a comprehensive
overview of the state of affairs in Latvia in 2014 from European, Canadian and
national perspectives. Situating Latvia within the European Union, Ms. Stovel
highlighted the fact that Latvia joined the Eurozone in January 2014, and that
Riga is 2014 Capital of Culture for the EU. She noted that Latvia’s priorities
heading into the Presidency will focus on growth (with strong support for CETA
in Latvia), the digital agenda, and security (including a focus on security in
the immediate region, the transatlantic partnership, the Eastern Partnership,
and the EU- Central Asia Partnership). On this latter point, Latvia will be
organizing an Eastern Partnership summit during its Presidency in a search for
new approaches. In terms of Canadian-Latvian relations, Ms. Stovel highlighted
that Canada has been particularly active in the region over the last year
through its military presence and a $1 million contribution to each of NATO’s
three Centres of Excellence in the Baltics.
Discussing recent developments in Latvia, Ms.
Stovel noted that the October 2014 elections brought the same three-party
centre-right governing coalition back into power, although it was the
pro-Russian Harmony party that in fact received the most votes. Prime Minister
Laimdota Straujuma became the country’s first female prime minister in January
2014. Latvia currently has a challenging relationship with Russia, given that
it is former occupied territory, and currently 28% of the population is ethnic
Russian. Thirteen percent of the population hold neither Latvian nor Russian
citizenship, although they have many benefits of Latvian citizenship, including
a passport, although they do not have the right to vote or work in the civil
service. Latvian language skills are a pre-requisite to Latvian citizenship. In
this context, there is heightened anxiety in Latvia today with respect to
aggressive Russian manoeuvres in the region. Latvia has recently committed to
increasing its contributions to NATO.
Ms. Stovel highlighted important aspects of the
Latvian economy, including the fact that Latvia and the
other Baltic states are world leaders with respect internet speed and digital
infrastructure. However, the country is also one of the poorest in the EU. It
was badly hit by the 2008 recession and is currently significantly affected by
sanctions against Russia, one of Latvia’s largest markets for agriculture and
dairy products. Nevertheless, Latvia has now paid off the loans that it took on
after the recession and is experiencing high GDP growth. Unemployment currently
stands at 11%, and emigration is keeping youth unemployment at approximately
25%. In response to questions from the delegation, Ms. Stovel mentioned that
current significant drivers of the Latvian economy are information technology,
pharmaceuticals, petroleum, transit and services. In terms of Canadian
connections, a Canadian nickel mining company is currently encouraging the
Latvian government to develop a legal framework for mining, and Bombardier is
looking to Latvia as a hub for its repairs. A recent agreement on rail tracks
has also seen Latvia moving away from the Russian gauge.
Members of the delegation followed Ms. Stovel’s
remarks with a series of questions highlighting Latvia’s comparable position on
climate change, domestic actions on Ebola, and low levels of immigration to the
country – while there are some Roma in Latvia (making up 10% of the population
of some towns), experiences with integration appear to be relatively positive
despite some accounts of discrimination.
Meeting with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the
Latvian Parliament (Saeima)
Mr. Ojārs
Ēriks Kalniņš of the Unity party and Chair of the Latvian
Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the delegation and Ms. Stovel
to the Saeima (Latvian Parliament) and began the meeting by highlighting the
importance of the security situation in Latvia presently – this was the issue
that dominated the October elections. On the issue of CETA, he indicated that
most of the details appeared to be worked out and only translation and legal
scrubbing was left. The issue that seems to have brought concerns about CETA to
the fore is the concurrent negotiations between the EU and United States on
TTIP. Mr. Kalniņš emphasized that Latvia is in favour of closer relations
with North America in terms of economics and security, and that Latvia hopes to
move both agreements forward during its Presidency.
On the issue of the Latvian Presidency of the
Council of the European Union, Mr. Kalniņš noted that one significant
priority will be to emphasize the importance of the Eastern Partnership in the
context of current Russian aggression, in order to normalize relations with
Russia, to focus on building democracy in these countries, and to encourage
engagement and support from transatlantic partners in this regard. In response
to questions from the delegation with respect to Russia’s motivation,
Kalniņš emphasized the importance of Russian nationalism and the apparent
need to emphasize Russian power by extending its sphere of influence. Other
members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, including Mr. Rihard Kols of the
National Alliance party, emphasized the fact that Russia is testing NATO
readiness and unity – this is an important moment for NATO to show strong
collaboration and to rethink EU military strategy while building a new EU
security architecture. The point was made that Russia is an important market
for Latvian goods. As such, the country is currently receiving some aid from
the EU and is looking elsewhere to new markets, such as China. Mr. Kalniņš
also provided some information about the NATO Centre of Excellence in Riga
which is focussing on strategic communications and producing very useful
reports, particularly with respect to Russian propaganda and attempts to paint
the West in a negative light. He emphasized that this is one area where Canada
can provide some assistance, possibly in addition to the Canadian staff member
and $1 million commitment from the Canadian government. He highlighted the fact
that Latvia is realizing that when it contributes militarily abroad, it
encourages military support for itself at home. The conversation about
perceptions of Russia in Latvia ended with an intervention by a member of the
Harmony party and the language needs of the ethnic Russians in Latvia and other
countries such as Ukraine. The meeting concluded with a discussion of the fact
that in recent years Latvia has provided residency permits to a number of
individuals who invested heavily in the Latvian economy, which has given rise
to fears among some Latvians for both national security and the economy.
Meeting with the
European Affairs Committee of the Saeima
Next, the delegation and Ms. Stovel met with
members of the Saeima’s European Affairs Committee. The Chair, Ms. Lolita
Čigāne of the Unity party, expressed Latvia’s appreciation for
Canadian military support and the strong NATO response that it has received in
recent months. She emphasized that the Eastern Partnership and the Russia-Ukraine
crisis are likely to dominate the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the
European Union, in addition to Latvia’s other priorities. She noted that Latvia
hopes to quickly ratify CETA and follow through with TTIP negotiations, while
respecting the need for transparency in these processes. Both CETA and TTIP are
symbols of the importance of working together through multilateral forums rather
than turning to aggression. She noted that Latvia’s principle exports are
information and communications technology, timber, and food produce (which is
currently affected by the sanctions against Russia). The Latvian economy has
good capacity for recovery and resilience in terms of niche products.
In response to a question about how Canada might
be able to further support Latvia, Mr. Atis Lejiņš of the Unity party
noted that one possibility would be to provide funding to learning exchange
programs for students within the EU at the Riga Law School. Ms.
Čigāne also emphasized the need to continue supporting Ukraine
through high level meetings and supplies. Following up on the issue of Russian
aggression, Mr. Armands Krauze of the Union and Greens and Farmers party
emphasized that the trade sanctions on Russia have had a significant impact on
Latvia, as 10% of Latvian trade usually goes to the Russian market. The Latvian
dairy sector has already declined by 30%, but many producers are beginning to
find new markets. In this context, Mr. Lejiņš highlighted energy
security, and the fact that Latvia currently buys all of its gas from Russia. In
the aim of reducing this dependency and increasing competition to lower gas
prices, Latvia was working in partnership with the other Baltic states to develop
a regional liquefied natural gas capacity. However, Latvia was unable to raise
the financing needed, and Lithuania went ahead with this project, acquiring a
floating gas terminal on its own. Nevertheless, Latvia currently has the
largest gas storage facility in the Baltics.
A discussion was then launched with respect to
Latvia’s digital capacity, and Mr. Lejiņš highlighted that Latvia is
hoping to push for a common digital market in the EU. At the moment, another of
Latvia’s major initiatives is working closely with other Baltic states on
electronic signatures. Ms. Čigāne also responded to a question about
Latvia’s entry into the Eurozone, emphasizing that it was ultimately a very
smooth process despite some nostalgia for the old currency, as the country was
well-prepared and proceeded in a transparent fashion. She highlighted the fact
that entering the Eurozone is meaningful from both a geopolitical and strategic
perspective. In response to questions about gender equality and climate change,
Mr. Lejiņš noted that the number of women in the Saeima is low and in fact
declined in the October 2014 elections. Mr. Krauze noted that there are
challenges and opportunities presented when dealing with climate change. Latvia
is a very green country but needs to ensure that it does not stagnate in this
context.
Working lunch with
Latvian Parliamentarians
The delegation hosted Ms. Stovel and a group of
Latvia parliamentarians – Mr. Vjačeslavs Dombrovskis of the Unity Party,
Mr. Atis Lejiņš, Mr. Ivans Klementjevs of the Harmony party, and Mr.
Mārtiņš Bondars of the Regional Alliance party – for a working lunch
to discuss various issue of interest to Latvian-Canadian relations. Mr. Tilson
opened the lunch with remarks the delegations experiences so far in Riga, as
well as the history of Canadian-Latvian relations, emphasizing the importance
of bilateral relations and parliamentary exchanges. Mr. Dombrovskis followed by
echoing the fact that the Latvian Canadian community is one of the most
influential Latvian communities outside the country, and provided an overview
of Latvia’s priorities for its Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
He and his colleagues thanked Canada for its support in 1991 as Latvia moved
towards independence from the Soviet Union. Mr. Tilson and Ms. Stovel
emphasized Canada’s continuing support with respect to Latvia’s concerns about
Russia. Mr. Dombrovskis and Mr. Lejiņš emphasized fears about the impact
of Russian propaganda through broadcasting and the capability of EU nations to
counter such messages. They feared that the world was heading towards a new
Cold War, with international stand offs over recognition of occupied
territories. This was followed by an exchange assessing the potential for
closer Russian-Chinese ties, and attempting to understand the motivation behind
Russia’s recent attempts to extend its sphere of influence. Mr. Dombrovskis and
Ms. Stovel also had an exchange about energy potential in the region and
Latvia’s need to diversify. Mr. Dombrovskis noted that there was little
potential for renewables such as solar power in Latvia due to the lack of year
round sunshine.
Meeting with the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry
The delegation then
went to the headquarters of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to meet
with the President, Mr. Gundars Strautmanis; Vice-President, Mr. Aigars
Rostovskis; and Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Board, Mr. Mārtiņš
Perts. Mr. Strautmanis began the meeting with opening remarks highlighting
that the Chamber of Commerce is the largest organization representing business
interests in Latvia. He noted that the organization is looking forward to
seeing CETA in order to understand its benefits from both the EU and Latvian
perspectives. In this regard, he responded to a question about how SMEs are
promoted abroad and encouraged to access foreign markets by noting that this is
also the realm of the Investment and Development Agency. For its part, the
Chamber of Commerce provides seminars and forums for SMEs to exchange experiences.
He noted that life is not easy for SMEs, although microtaxation is working well
for the moment. Among other things, the court system is very slow.
Mr. Strautmanis and Mr. Rostovskis responded to a
question about immigration, noting that a number of wealthy Russians have been
immigrating to Latvia recently. The Latvian birth rate is not high, so this
immigration could be positive, but there is a need for regulation, as most of
the money from these immigrants goes towards real estate, which is not a sustainable
form of investment. This is a deeply political issue as well. In response to a
question about the impact of sanctions against Russia on Latvia, Mr.
Strautmanis and Mr. Rostovskis noted that the government is providing funding
to cover losses for Latvian producers, but it is not enough. The Chamber of
Commerce is working closely with the Ministry of the Economy, and trying to
find new markets, such as China. On the issue of why Latvia is so strong in the
digital field, Mr. Rostovskis noted that the Soviet education provided a strong
grounding for those now working in this field. He emphasized the need to use
Latvian physical infrastructure better. Latvia has much to contribute in this
regard, as it has three ice-free ports. In response to a question about youth
unemployment, he noted that Latvia needed tax and investment incentives to make
it easier for people to find attractive jobs in Latvia rather than leaving for
other countries.
Meeting with
Officials from the Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development
at the Riga IT Demo Centre
At the Riga IT Demo Centre, the delegation met
with Mr. Arnis Daugulis, Deputy State Secretary at the Ministry of Environment
Protection and Regional Development (ICT and e-governance); Ms. Žaneta Mikosa, Deputy State Secretary (EU Presidency issues); Gatis Ozols,
electronic services division; and Pēteris Veits, senior expert. Mr.
Daugulis provided the delegation with an overview of Latvia’s Digital Europe
priority for its Presidency of the Council of the European Union. He noted that
the key message would be “digital by default,” meaning that all EU initiatives
should take digital aspects into account. Within this context, Latvia hopes to
focus on building trust and reducing barriers within a digital single market,
working on public sector modernization through digital technology, and
emphasizing safety and security in cyberspace. Much planning is already
underway at the EU level on such initiatives, so this is the opportunity for
Latvia to bring its influence to the table. In response to a question from the
delegation, Mr. Daugulis elaborated on the concept of a single digital market,
noting that this would mean eliminating roaming charges throughout Europe. The
rationale would ultimately be to use digital means to encourage growth and new
jobs. He noted the current fragmentation of digital capabilities across the EU,
which slows the continent down such that it loses its competitive advantage. He
emphasized that the real opportunities here are for the private sector – the
public sector would only be involved in providing coverage for “white spots”
(areas with no internet connection). In Latvia he noted that the government
also has a role in dealing with the digital divide by providing a network of
libraries with free internet. Mr. Daugulis ended by highlighting the need to
balance confidence in the security of the internet with wide coverage and
usability.
Mr. Veits mentioned that data protection issues and legislative
proposals with respect to copyright will be coming before the EU in the coming
months. The digital agenda is likely one that will overlap into future presidencies.
Following up on the copyright issue, he said that although copyright
legislation is currently being drafted, it is unclear whether it will be generic
or detailed. To what extent is harmonization needed? They will be looking at
how copyright policy can be improved throughout the EU. On the issue of
e-signatures, he highlighted the fact that the system is working well in
Latvia, but the next challenge is to ensure that such signatures can be
acknowledged between states. Mr. Daugulis highlighted the fact that the new EU
Commission has received a €3 billion boost, and Ms. Mikosa noted that in the
long term, going digital is more efficient, so will lead to savings. Mr.
Daugulis followed up by noting that digitization of government services is
about more than putting the technologies in place – the whole system needs to
be re-examined. If the project is a success then the investment is repaid. Mr.
Veits echoed this, noting that it is not about pouring money into a project,
but about ensuring that one includes such digital issues in education as well,
so that it simply becomes part of the culture.
The delegation took the time during its meeting to watch a demonstration
video from the Riga IT Demo Centre that elaborated on Latvia’s digital
infrastructure. Among other highlights, the video noted that Latvia’s
involvement in the digital realm was in part sparked by the economic crisis in
2008, which pushed companies to search for efficiencies. Latvia currently is a
leader in the use of e-banking services. The delegation was also given a tour
of the Demo Centre and shown some of the innovations that are becoming
available to consumers.
Meeting with the
NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in Riga
The delegation began its last day in Riga in a
meeting with Deputy Director Col. Aivar Jaeski and Military Public Relations
expert Lt. Col. (ret’d) Rita LePage of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre
of Excellence in Riga. The Centre began operations in January 2014 and received
formal accreditation in September. Lt. Col. LePage began the meeting by
discussing how the Centre proposes to use the $1 million in funding provided by
the Canadian government, focusing on target analysis capability in Georgia,
Moldova and Ukraine for 2015. She noted that the Centre is currently
operational but not fully staffed. It receives funding from Latvia, the United
Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Estonia and Lithuania, who will each also be
providing one personnel to the Centre for an eventual total of 20 employees. Col.
Jaeski emphasized that the Centre’s goal is not to grow into a large
organization, but to get as many nations as possible on board. The Centre’s
initiatives target sponsoring nations’ needs. In this context, he encouraged
Canada to send an employee to the Centre or to make Lt. Col. LePage its
official representative – she is currently sponsored by the Latvian government.
Col. Jaeski emphasized the unique nature of the
Centre and its emphasis on strategic communications. At the moment, the Baltic
states are very concerned about the security environment, despite the fact that
there is no direct threat and they are members of NATO. From one perspective,
he said that the Centre aims to “calm down the fog of war.” Lt. Col. LePage
noted that one of the primary areas of focus for the Centre is Russian
propaganda. Right now the message coming from Russia is one of restoring
Russian pride, hearkening back to former glory. There is a clear need to
understand the damage that was done to this pride when the USSR split apart. The
Centre recently released a report that analyzed Russian statements on
television and via Twitter, and concluded that Russia had signalled its move on
Crimea long ago, but other countries had not picked up on the signals. The
Centre is interested in analyzing how to counter such propaganda, looking at
the images we project, what nations say and attempting to influence behaviour
change. Col. Jaeski noted that today, NATO is stronger than ever, but it must
not ignore the security environment – it is important to maintain defence
spending and expertise. Beyond Russia, the Centre has also been looking at the
Islamic State and radicalization in an attempt to better understand target
audience motivations and what are compelling narratives that can influence
behaviour change. Although the Centre has no capacity to undertake
counter-propaganda measures itself, Col. Jaeski emphasized that the Centre is
analyzing where NATO may not be hitting the mark – there is some concern that
counter-narratives are not being expressed or heard. Another of the Centre’s
projects is examining NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in
Afghanistan for lessons learned between 2006 and 2014 with respect to the
messages that nations communicate at home. A report on ballistic missile
defence is also almost complete. Col. Jaeski noted that in terms of
coordination, the various NATO Centres of Excellence have annual meetings where
they examine overlaps and share information, sometimes combining projects where
appropriate.
Meeting with
Professor Andris Sprūds of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs
The delegation then met with Professor Andris
Sprūds of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs to discuss the
Eastern Partnership and regional security issues. Professor Sprūds
highlighted what role Latvia will have to play during its Presidency of the
Council of the European Union, including setting the Council’s agenda,
organizing events and facilitating collaboration. He noted that concerns about
Russian aggression are sure to form the backdrop for the Presidency. As such,
the Eastern Partnership will be high on the Council’s agenda. Many Central and
Eastern European states are falling apart and becoming more individualized.
Professor Sprūds cited a worrying opinion poll from Belarus, which
indicated that faced with Russian aggression, less than 15% would defend
Belarus, 20% would support the invading army, and 50% would simply accept the
new regime. Nevertheless, Professor Sprūds recognized that Latvia must
tread carefully. As further context, Professor Sprūds set out the primary
features of the Eastern Partnership: to promote human rights, the rule of law
and democracy; and to promote free or increased trade.
Professor Sprūds was asked about energy
security and distribution in the region. He noted that Russia uses its
pipelines to maintain a monopoly on energy supplies and to maintain influence
in Europe. He noted that gas was more of a strategic tool for Russia, while oil
was more about economics. One silver lining in Russia’s monopoly on the gas
supply is that it has been a good source of income for Ukraine as a transit
country (contributing up to 10% of Ukraine’s GDP). He emphasized that balance
is important – Russian energy supplies are indispensable, but diversification
is important, including transparent market relations and the ability to replace
supply sources.
Responding to a question about a perceived
re-establishment of the Russian Empire, he denied that this was the case, but
said that it was a complex situation. He said that Russia has never been as
united as it is now. In response to another question about Turkey, Professor
Sprūds noted that Latvia supports Turkish membership in the EU but fears
that instability in the region is pushing it away right now. He noted that
energy projects in the area, such as South Stream, are likely to move forward,
although there are obstacles, as well as incentives for working with Russia.
Echoing comments from an earlier meeting, Professor Sprūds also noted that
he did not think that Russia and China would ultimately establish too close a
relationship, despite a recent rapprochement, as they were very different
countries. Finally, in envisaging Russia, post-Putin, Professor Sprūds
noted that Russia is a relatively democratic country and that there are other
options for leadership available. Nevertheless, he said that President Putin is
likely to remain in power for a long time yet. Russia is an interesting social
phenomenon and it will be interesting to see what happens if President Putin’s
ratings ever fall.
Working Lunch with Member of the European
Parliament, Mr. Roberts Zīle
The delegation
attended a working lunch hosted by Ms. Stovel with a Latvian Member of the
European Parliament, Mr. Roberts Zīle, member of the European
Conservatives and Reformists Group at the EU level and the National Alliance at
the national level. Mr. Zīle commented on Latvia’s priorities for its
Presidency of the Council of the European Union, emphasizing the focus on the
Eastern Partnership and the digital agenda. He said that some in Latvia are
unhappy with the money being spent on the Presidency, but that others are
encouraged with the increased attention, which is putting the small country on
the map. He noted that his party and the European People’s Party supported
CETA. The idea of trade with the United States is of great importance to
Latvia, and supporting CETA is an obvious first step towards this. CETA will be
easier to achieve than TTIP, but it is possible that it will be used as a
political tool to dissuade countries from moving forwards with TTIP – it will
be important to avoid making automatic associations between the two. Mr. Tilson
echoed a positive message about CETA, noting that it is a good thing for the
EU, Latvia, Germany and Canada, and that it will even provide the EU with some
access to American and Mexican markets. Mr. Zīle noted that there have
been some political concerns expressed about the ability for genetically
modified foods to enter the European market, but that this is not a reality –
European standards will not be lowered through CETA. Ms. Stovel also emphasized
that ISDS already exists in many contexts – CETA will simply be using that same
capability.
Asked about the political parties in Latvia, Mr.
Zīle emphasized that the National Alliance is a right-wing party. At the
moment, the party is concerned about the sale of Latvian real estate to
Russians, hoping to shift this trend from Russian investment towards Western
investors. He also noted that the National Alliance is seeking to introduce
Latvian as the only language taught in schools in an attempt to bring
uniformity to the school system – not as an attack on minority languages. On
this issue, he noted that there is some concern in Latvia right now that there
are too many schools with too few children. This is very expensive for the
state and results are poor, as the teachers are not paid enough.
On the issue of climate change and energy, Mr.
Zīle noted that Latvia is a green country but would like to slow down on
climate action. He said that Latvia is skeptical that the levels of reduction
being sought are possible. He also noted that an energy union is high on the
EU’s agenda, but that different countries understand this concept differently. Asked
about the possibility of one day buying energy from Canada, he responded that
Latvia would likely be interested in Canadian liquefied natural gas, but there
is less of a need for oil. Turning to the floating terminal recently built in
Lithuania, Mr. Zīle noted that Latvia could not come to agreement on this
terminal – the Baltic states are not fully united on energy issues – so does
not have access to that supply, which is currently coming to Lithuania from
Norway. Mr. Zīle ended with a discussion of Rail Baltica and Latvia’s
recent move towards a high speed train on a European gauge. Russia and other
interests are against such a move – the battle is not over yet on this issue.
Meeting with Ms.
Iveta Kažoka, Senior Policy Analyst at Providus
The delegation then held a meeting with Ms. Iveta
Kažoka, a senior policy analyst with the think tank Providus, to discuss
Latvia’s priorities for its Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Ms. Kažoka discussed the organization’s most recent research project comparing
EU member states, with particular emphasis on Latvia, Poland, Bulgaria and
Czech Republic. Among its conclusions, this project found that Latvia was one
of the most EU-integrated subject countries, with significant levels of
optimism about the EU (although 30% of Latvia’s population remained skeptical
of the benefits that being a member of the EU entailed). She said that Latvia
was currently experiencing good growth, and that many see the EU as providing
benefits such as labour mobility, investment and agricultural subsidies, rather
than focusing on the broader benefits that the EU represents, such as common values,
and peace and security. She highlighted the fact that Latvia currently has a
low sense of empowerment at the EU, with the perception that Latvian MEPs are
not being heard. However, she noted that Latvian MEPs are slowly gaining
confidence, and that this perception will likely change with the Presidency. From
this perspective, Ms. Kažoka highlighted a number of areas that Latvia may be
able to work on in the coming months, including focusing on a stronger civil
service that understands EU procedures, thinking about Latvia in a more
strategic way at the EU, and getting more involved at the EU with policy
suggestions. In response to a question from the delegation about how the
Presidency works, Ms. Kažoka emphasized that Latvia’s Presidency is part of an
18-month program developed in conjunction with two other EU member states
(Italy and Luxembourg) – the three states together are known as a trio. Each
country then focuses on individual priorities from that agenda depending on
their skills and interests. Italy is currently focussing on institutional
reform and Latvia will carry on that goal but with a digital twist. One
priority does not die when a Presidency is over – the following country simply
picks up that mantle. As such, Latvia is likely to do some work on
Mediterranean issues following from Italy’s Presidency. In choosing the
digital agenda, Latvia drew from its strengths rather than relying on any more
strategic planning. The idea of a digital union is not a new one, but it is one
that Latvia has something to contribute to.
Meeting with Officials from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
The delegation’s
last meeting in Latvia was with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Ms. Inga Skujiņa, Under-Secretary of State for European Affairs;
Ambassador Einars Semanis, Director General of the Bilateral Relations
Directorate; Ms. Dace Rutka, the Head of the Americas and the Caribbean
Division; Mr. Reinis Kalniņš, Third Secretary of the Americas and the
Caribbean Division; and Mr. Artūrs Sviridovs, Canada’s desk officer at the
Americas and the Caribbean Division. Ms. Skujiņa commented on how Latvia
is approaching its Presidency priorities, emphasizing that the country aims to
learn more about the Council through its Presidency, and hope that it has the
skills to guide its partners and pave the way for work together into the
future. She noted the low voter turnout in the 2014 EU elections due to
euroskepticism but hoped that such issues are behind them, highlighting the
fact that the EU institutions managed to agree on a slate of new Commissioners
with relative ease and that work programs are now in place. There is a current
emphasis on increased inter-institutional cooperation and planning. Ms.
Skujiņa noted that sometimes Presidencies can be distracted by a crisis of
the moment and so cannot always implement their goals in the timeframe
available, but the aim of the trio programme is continuity. Latvia will
continue what Italy has started, with the recognition that issues such as
migration from the south are less important to Latvia than the Eastern
Partnership. The current aim is for “less paper, more deeds”.
On Latvia’s specific priorities, Ms. Skujiņa
emphasized that “Competitive Europe” is about economic policy, efficiency and
competitiveness; strengthening the European industrial base; focusing on
climate policy; decreasing energy dependency and emphasizing on public-private
partnerships. “Digital Europe” is about emphasizing trust between service
providers and consumers within a single digital market; data protection and
cyber security; and supporting jobs and competition. On the “Engaged Europe”
priority, Latvia intends to work with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy towards strong transatlantic relations that
emphasize the economy and security; focus on the Eastern Partnership and Central
Asian relations; and work on a renewed security strategy. She noted that
despite euroskepticism, the overwhelming majority at the EU is pro-EU, so it
should be possible to move forward rationally. Focusing on action rather than
paper, and realistic and tangible results, should help allay concerns. In this
vein, one of Latvia’s aims is to reduce bureaucratic language, and provide
better explanations in order to better explain the benefits of the EU. Major
reforms likely cannot be achieved during their presidency, but Latvia hopes to
look for gaps and inefficiencies on a daily basis.
Ambassador Semanis turned the discussion to
Latvian-Canadian relations, and noted that Latvia was very grateful for Canada’s
recent support through NATO. He said that Latvia currently has a good
relationship with Canada at the diplomatic level and that economic cooperation
is growing: a Canadian mineral exploration company has recently been looking
into opportunities in Latvia, and Bombardier’s relationship with Air Baltic is
very important. Maybe it would be possible to have a training centre in Latvia
or a capacity for building parts. He noted that a direct flight from Riga to
Toronto was currently under discussion. On the issue of Latvian-Russian
relations, Ambassador Semanis noted that there were clear tensions due to the
situation in Ukraine. The European External Action Service needs to focus on
this issue and signal the EU’s clear displeasure to Russia. He noted that
diplomatic channels were open and that there was always hope that a diplomatic
solution could work. In terms of the Eastern Partnership, Ms. Skujiņa
noted that Latvia is working hard to be realistic about events in the region
and to work on relationships with those countries. Latvia wants to focus on an
individual approach to Eastern Partnership countries. Commenting on the
upcoming elections in Moldova, she noted that the polls indicated that the
country was undecided – making the post-Communist transition is not easy.
Reception Hosted by the Canadian Embassy at the
Small Guild
On the delegation’s
last night in Riga, the Canadian Embassy to Latvia, led by Ms. Stovel, hosted a
reception for the delegation and many of the organizations and individuals that
the delegation had met with throughout its mission. Ms. Stovel and Mr. Tilson
made remarks highlighting the delegation’s experiences during its week in Riga
and the importance of Canadian-Latvian relations, as well as the benefits of
such parliamentary missions. Mr. Tilson thanked Ms. Stovel for her warm welcome
and the excellent programme that the Embassy had organized on the delegation’s
behalf, ending by wishing Latvia well as it takes the reigns of the Council of
the European Union.
Respectfully submitted,
Mr. David Tilson, M.P.
President, Canada-Europe Parliamentary
Association
