Annual Report April 2011 – March 2012

2011/2012 Highlights

The Committee on Internal Trade (CIT) met during 2011/2012 to achieve further progress on its internal trade action plan. At its Annual Meeting on Prince Edward Island in June 2011, Ministers:

• Agreed to undertake a more effective enforcement mechanism for disputes brought by “persons” (individuals, businesses and other organizations) against a government. The changes include monetary penalties and the removal of dispute resolution privileges for non-compliance following a decision by an independent dispute resolution panel, and are generally consistent with comparable measures under the government-to-government dispute process.
• Agreed on a full review of the Dispute Resolution Chapter to ensure procedural fairness and consistency to be incorporated into a future protocol of amendment.
• Directed officials to draft an interpretative note to clarify Chapter Nine (Agricultural and Food Goods).
• Approved the Thirteenth Protocol of Amendment, improving the openness and transparency of procurement practices, including the designation of a single electronic tendering system in each jurisdiction.
• Directed officials to develop options on extending under the AIT, where appropriate, any Agreement on Internal Trade Annual Report 2011/2012 3 benefits provided under international trade agreements.
• Reviewed the progress of the regulatory harmonization work plan and work to improve government procurement and labour mobility (by extending AIT coverage to financial services occupations) and directed officials to continue work in these important areas of interprovincial trade.
• Received a presentation by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) that focused on the history and evolution of trade patterns within the Atlantic region.

In December 2011, the Annual General Meeting of the Internal Trade Secretariat Corporation (ITSC) was held via conference call. A meeting of the ITSC Board of Directors took place in February 2012.