During our time at the University of Vienna, our group was able to attend a lecture given by Dr. Gerhard Hafner on the subject of the CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) treaty between Canada and the European Union. While we had previously been given a brief primer on the subject, many of Dr. Hafner’s insights were both interesting and surprising. Firstly, while not necessarily surprising, we were interested to learn that ten percent of Canadian goods and services exports go to the European Union. This highlighted the strength and benefit of Canada’s existing relationship with the EU, while also pointing to the potential for further economic integration. Most notably, We were personally surprised by the procedural and legislative hurdles that must be overcome in order to successfully implement the treaty. In particular, the necessity of bringing together environmental, labour and safety standards was something we had not previously understood the challenge or necessity of. Genetically modified organisms (GMO), for example, appear to be a major point of difference between the European and North American definitions of health, safety, and the public good. In Canada, though occasionally discussed, non-GMO foods remain a voluntary niche product, generally consumed only by health-conscious individuals. On the other hand, protection from GMO products appears to be a non-negotiable condition for members of the European Union. Finally, while perhaps not the biggest issue in Canadian-European relations, we were legitimately shocked by the outrage in Europe around the clubbing of seals. The activity has always been seen by many Canadians as uncomfortable or even revolting, but it seems to be generally viewed as an Inuit cultural activity that must be tolerated. We certainly respect (and in some ways applaud) the stance taken by the European Union, but we were also slightly amused at how something so seemingly small could snowball into an issue that even impacted European membership on the Arctic council.
Below is a photograph of a statue of Franciscus Josephus I. He was the emperor of Austria from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. After successfully graduating from the University of Vienna in law he commissioned his statue to be built to motivate the students to do well. He wanted the students to know that he was their employer and if they did well they would have a job under him.
We also found Dr. Hafner's lecture interesting. We found that he had vert intriguing insights into the Canada-EU relationship.
ReplyDeleteComing from the perspective of someone from the EU, we can see how this agreement impacts someone from a country with a deep history (such as Austria) compares to Canada, where the culture is a bit less defined and much younger.
We were also surprised to learn about the issues that arise with different views on things such as GMOs and seals. With such an inclusive agreement, it would be assumed that these exports wouldn't face any barriers. However, because of major differing views, importing this goods into the EU present's issues.
We were also surprised to learn about the overall impact and indirect influence this can create on other councils/agreements, such as the Arctic council. It seems to be that the EU takes strong stances on matters of importance, even if it impact's their involvement with other world wide issues, councils, etc. With the Arctic becoming such a potentially important resource area, the EU risks not having a voice on such matters that may concern them.
Overall, great post Chris and Erika! We enjoyed reading your personal insights!
-xoxo, Erik and Jenna