This is from The Economist:
Twentieth-century trade deals slashed tariffs. Newer ones between rich countries, such as CETA, focus on cutting other barriers to trade. After seven years of haggling, European negotiators dream of European toys and electrical products being sold straight to Canadians, without having to go through a second round of health and safety checks.
Here's my question for those of you who have followed CETA more closely than I have: What part of CETA would allow European products such as these to be sold in Canada without having to show conformity with Canadian regulations?
ADDED:
OK, with help from Ferdi de Ville, I see it now in the text, in the "Protocol on the mutual acceptance of the results of conformity assessment." My first question is, will these rules actually accomplish what they aim to? Enforcing mutual recognition agreements isn't something trade agreements have done, as far as I know. Will any enforcement actions be needed, or will everyone comply?
In addition, the next sentences of the Economist article state:
Coordinating standards with another country inevitably means surrendering a little sovereignty. This riles many Europeans, who worry that CETA will dilute environmental standards and labour laws
Here's my question on this point: Does anyone really get upset about mutual acceptance of conformity assessment for products such as these? I understand that, at a general level, some people may be worried about lowering domestic standards, or more specifically about certain products (such as beef), or supra-national regulation. But I would have thought that mutual recognition for specific products was not a big deal.
