Annual Report April 2012 – March 2013

2012/2013 Highlights

The Committee on Internal Trade (CIT) met during 2012/2013 to achieve further progress on its internal trade action plan. At its Annual Meeting in June 2012, Ministers:

• Approved amendments to ensure a more effective Person-to-Government dispute settlement process. The amendments include the introduction of monetary penalties for non-compliance with panel reports, as currently applies for Government-to-Government disputes, as well as changes resulting from a review to ensure procedural fairness and consistency. Ministers also approved an interpretive note regarding the Chapter on Agricultural and Food Goods.
• Agreed to further work necessary to reconcile corporate registration and to continue to review business licensing issues.
• Agreed to explore the possibility and parameters of a new chapter for the AIT on technical barriers to trade, which could strengthen commitments to transparency of the regulatory process and the reconciliation of standards across Canada.
• Directed that work continue with regard to the development of options for addressing situations where foreign interests may receive more favourable treatment under an international agreement than domestic interests receive under the AIT.

Also, in September 2012, the Annual General Meeting of the Internal Trade Secretariat Corporation (ITSC) was held via conference call. The annual meeting of the ITSC Board of Directors took place in February 2013.