subject was: Spanish website blocking law implemented
Canadian public consultation on TPP closes February 14, 2012.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_Pacific_Partnership
Is WMF and/or WM-CA intending to submit their views? How can we help!?
Do we have a list of submissions to govt.by the Wikimedia community? e.g. there was an EU submission last year, and here is a WM-AU one
http://www.wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Submission_on_Australian_Digital_Future_Directions
--
John Vandenberg
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE
CONSULTATIONS ON POTENTIAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP MEMBERS
The Government of Canada is seeking the
views of Canadians on the scope of possible free trade negotiations
between Canada and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) members, which
include
Additional countries have also expressed their interest in consultations on joining the discussions:
This notice is part of the Government of
Canada’s domestic consultation process with business, citizen-based
organizations and individual Canadians, as well as with provincial and
territorial governments, to obtain advice and views on priorities,
objectives and concerns to help outline the parameters of this
initiative.
Background
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a
free trade agreement under negotiation to liberalize trade in the
Asia-Pacific region. Nine countries are currently participating in the
negotiations: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New
Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States. Japan and
Mexico have recently announced their intentions to begin consultations
to join the TPP. With the participation of Canada, Mexico and Japan, the
TPP would represent a market of more than 775 million people and a
combined GDP of $25.7 trillion (or US$24.9 trillion) — a market larger
than the European Union.
The intent of TPP negotiators is to create
an ambitious, high-standard regional free trade agreement that covers a
wide range of areas related to trade and investment. On November 12,
2011, leaders of the TPP member countries meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii,
for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum announced the
achievement of a broad outline of an agreement that would enhance trade
and investment, promote innovation, economic growth and development, and
create and sustain jobs. Nine rounds of negotiations have taken place.
Following review of the November 2011
outline released by TPP members, Canada notes the high degree of
complementarity between what is being pursued in the TPP and the
approach Canada takes in its own trade negotiations.
Additional information on the TPP can be found at www.ustr.gov/tpp (in English only).
Submissions by interested parties
The Government is embarking on a public
consultation process to allow all interested stakeholders an early
opportunity to provide comments, input and advice on possible free trade
negotiations with TPP countries (current nine members and other
interested countries: Japan and Mexico). It is essential that the
Government of Canada be fully aware of the interests and potential
sensitivities of Canadians with respect to this initiative. We welcome
advice and views on any priorities, objectives and concerns relating to
possible free trade negotiations with TPP countries. In particular, we
are seeking views with respect to the following:
- Opinions on areas of goods export interest (identified by
Harmonized System [HS]/Tariff codes, if possible), including products
that would benefit from the early removal of tariffs and other barriers
by TPP countries.
- Views on market access liberalization for TPP countries
products (identified by HS/Tariff codes, if possible) into the Canadian
market, including input on those products for which the elimination of
tariffs should be expedited or phased-in over time.
- Advice and views on trade in services, particularly the
identification of sectors/activities of export interest for Canadian
service providers, and opinions on domestic regulatory measures that
restrict or otherwise affect market access for Canadian service
providers.
- Advice, views and experiences regarding the temporary
entry of business persons from Canada into TPP countries and into Canada
from TPP countries (e.g. impediments to entering or working in TPP
countries on a temporary basis, including licensing or certification
requirements at the border).
- Advice, views and experiences regarding measures affecting
exports destined for TPP countries, including non-tariff barriers
(such as import licensing), technical barriers to trade (including
technical regulations, standards and/or conformity assessment
procedures) and sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
- Views on general rules of origin and/or advice on appropriate rules of origin for specific products or sectors.
- Advice on “trade facilitation” issues (e.g. significant impediments related to import procedures).
- Advice, views and experiences with customs procedures and with commercial goods entering and/or leaving TPP countries.
- Advice, views and experiences regarding investment
barriers faced by Canadian investors in TPP countries, including
restrictions imposed on foreign ownership or entry to market, questions
of transparency of regulation, performance requirements (i.e. local
content requirements, use of local labour and services), and any other
impediments/barriers.
- Advice and views on government procurement markets of
interest to Canadian suppliers and exporters to TPP countries, including
the government departments, agencies or enterprises of interest and the
goods, services or construction services that Canadian suppliers are
interested in selling to those government organizations. Note that
participation in government procurement may include bidding as the
prime contractor or exporting goods and/or services to the prime
contractor who in turn bids on government contracts.
- Advice, views and experiences regarding barriers (e.g.
availability and transparency of information, domestic preferences) when
selling or attempting to sell to governments of TPP countries.
- Views and experiences with the protection of intellectual property rights.
- Advice and views on competition policy matters, including development of possible cooperation mechanisms.
- Views on capacity-building measures that could assist developing countries in achieving the objectives of the agreement.
- Views on ways to reflect the interests and values of
Canadians in the area of sustainable development, environmental
protection and conservation.
- Views on ways to reflect the interests and values of
Canadians in the areas of workers’ rights, human rights, transparency in
business and commercial practices and other social concerns, as they
relate to TPP countries.
- Views on other related issues not mentioned above.
All interested parties are invited to
submit their views by February 14, 2012. Please be advised that any
information received as a result of this consultation will be considered
as public information, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Submissions
should include
- the contributor’s name and address and, if applicable, his/her organization, institution or business;
- the specific issues being addressed; and
- precise information on the rationale for the positions
taken, including any significant impact it may have on Canada’s domestic
or foreign interests.
Contributions can be sent by email to
consultations@ international.gc.ca, by fax to 613-944-3489 or by mail to
Trade Negotiations Consultations (TPP), Foreign Affairs and
International Trade Canada, Trade Policy and Negotiations Division II
(TPW), Lester B. Pearson Building, 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A
0G2.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kim Bruning <kim@bruning.xs4all.nl>
Date: Sat, Jan 7, 2012 at 5:14 AM
Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Spanish website blocking law implemented
To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
And canada is considering pushing back the public domain 20 years, under
... us influence yet again.
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6225/125/
(Proposed and existing) US policy (foreign and domestic) is not really
in favor of wikimedia at the moment, is it? :-/
sincerely,
Kim Bruning