Government releases report on services trade consultation

2001-02-08

The federal trade minister has released a report outlining the views expressed during a public consultation on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The consultation, which took place late last year, was part of a variety of activities aimed at developing Canadian positions for upcoming GATS negotiations.
Standards are expected to play a significant role in both the negotiations and the resulting agreements. A number of the sectors affected by GATS, including banking and telecommunications, make extensive use of standards. Some Canadians, the report shows, are also concerned about the effect of the agreement on Canada's consumer protection and public safety standards.
More information on the negotiations is available from the federal government's Services 2000 site.

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