[Foundation-l] Canadian consultation on Trans Pacific Partnership

Fri Jan 6 22:35:42 UTC 2012

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

   - Australia
   - Brunei Darussalam
   - Chile  (see footnote
1)<http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-12-31/html/notice-avis-eng.html#1>
   - Malaysia
   - New Zealand
   - Peru (see footnote
2)<http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-12-31/html/notice-avis-eng.html#2>
   - Singapore
   - United States (see footnote
3)<http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-12-31/html/notice-avis-eng.html#3>
   - Vietnam

Additional countries have also expressed their interest in consultations on
joining the discussions:

   - Japan
   - Mexico (see footnote
4)<http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-12-31/html/notice-avis-eng.html#4>

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

   1. the contributor’s name and address and, if applicable, his/her
   organization, institution or business;
   2. the specific issues being addressed; and
   3. 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 at 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 at 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