Business moves: Navigating CETA’s mobility provisions

  • August 27, 2018

The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, which came into effect in September 2017, is marketed as a “progressive free trade agreement which covers virtually all sectors and aspects of Canada-EU trade in order to eliminate or reduce barriers.”

When CETA is fully implemented, 99 per cent of EU tariffs on Canadian goods will have been eliminated. But that’s not the only barrier to trade affected by the deal – CETA’s Chapter 10, the mobility provisions chapter, eliminates many administrative hurdles on many prospective business entrants to Canada or the EU, with provisions designed to increase transparency and predictability at the border for key personnel.

After the deal’s mobility provisions came into force, the CBA Immigration Law Section put together an online guide for navigating the framework set out in CETA to facilitate cross-border travel or relocation for selected categories of business persons: investors and business visitors for investment purposes, intra-corporate transferees (ICTs), contractual services suppliers, independent professionals, and short term business visitors.

Chapters include a guide to temporary entry and stay for business purposes, and information on two additional] chapters: 11, which deals with mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and 12, which focuses on licensing and qualification requirements and what needs to happen in order to get permission to carry out economic activity. As well, there are links to additional resources.

You can find CBA’s Guide to CETA Mobility Provisions and more useful CBA resources on cba.org.