Share your views: Consulting Canadians on a possible Canada-European Union Digital Trade Agreement

As part of its commitment to strengthening Canada’s global trade relationships and modernizing digital trade rules, the Government of Canada sought public input from stakeholders to inform exploratory discussions for a digital trade agreement (DTA) with the European Union (EU). Global Affairs Canada invited all Canadians to share their views regarding the development of this agreement, including feedback on its potential scope and content, as well as identifying potential areas of interest or concern.

Who was the focus of this consultation?

The Government of Canada is committed to policies that expand opportunities for more Canadians to compete and succeed in international markets. Global Affairs Canada invited any interested stakeholder to provide input, including from:

• Canadian businesses, including micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)
• industry associations
• academics and experts
• provincial, territorial, and municipal governments
• Indigenous Peoples
• civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations
• labour unions
• women's associations, 2SLGBTQI+ stakeholders and community groups representing diverse experiences
• students and youth
• other interested Canadian stakeholders

Background

Digital trade covers digitally-enabled transactions involving trade in either goods and services that can be digitally or physically delivered to consumers, firms, and governments. Canada’s international trade initiatives in the context of digital trade aim to: facilitate commercial activity; address potential market access impediments; and build consumer trust and confidence.

As part of its interest in further enhancing its trading relationship with the EU, as well as modernizing digital trade rules, the Government of Canada sought input from stakeholders to inform exploratory discussions on a possible Canada-EU DTA.

DTAs serve as complementary instruments to comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). They can be leveraged to update existing trade commitments to keep pace with the ever-evolving digital landscape and ensure alignment with Canada’s current digital trade practice, such as in the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), for which negotiations were concluded in 2014.

Pursuing exploratory discussions for a possible Canada-EU DTA is aligned with the Government of Canada’s international trade policy objectives, including encouraging the digital economy as a means of facilitating and diversifying international trade and investment. These types of agreements could include trade commitments that seek to advance digital trade priorities for both economies and improve regulatory predictability for businesses conducting trade online.  By concluding a Canada-EU DTA, Canada could address emerging technology issues, promote its interests in inclusive trade, and be at the forefront of the development of international rules governing digital trade.

Early input from stakeholders was deemed essential to identify Canadian priorities, interests, and concerns in order to help define the scope of a potential agreement with the EU.

Key questions for discussion

The Government of Canada welcomed views on the types of provisions stakeholders would like to see included in these agreements and hear about digital trade barriers experienced by Canadian businesses when operating in the EU.

Topics we sought input on include:

• access to and use of the internet for digital trade
• requirements for electronic transactions
• electronic authentication methods, electronic signatures
• digital identities and trust services
• online consumer protection
• unsolicited commercial electronic messages (e.g. spam messages)
• cross-border movement of data
• local data storage requirements
• source code disclosure requirements
• open government data
• application of competition policies to the digital economy
• cybersecurity
• digital inclusion
• protection of intellectual property
• standards for digital technologies and interoperability of requirements
• requirements for developing and using artificial intelligence
• preventing the proliferation of misinformation online
• infrastructure gaps and the digital divide
• protecting personal information and privacy online
• technical barriers to the use of digital products
• transparency and cooperation

The input gathered through this process will help inform Canada’s interests and approach to potential negotiations for a digital trade agreement with the European Union. These consultations helped  identify commercial opportunities and market access interests for Canadian stakeholders, as well as opportunities to improve regulatory predictability and increase transparency for Canadian businesses operating in the European Union marketplace.

Privacy notice

Stakeholders were invited to read the privacy notice statement carefully prior to sending a written submission.

What we heard

Final report: Consulting Canadians on a possible Canada-European Union Digital Trade Agreement

Related links

• Canada Gazette: Consultations on developing a possible Canada-European Union digital trade agreement

Contact us

Intellectual Property, Digital Economy and Innovation Division
Global Affairs Canada
Lester B. Pearson Building 
125 Sussex Drive 
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0G2 
Email: Consultations-TMI@international.gc.ca