VANCOUVER PLAYS GATS JURISDICTION CARD
The City Council of Vancouver, Canada passed a motion urging the Canadian government "to consult widely and in depth with the people of Canada, especially and including municipal councils, before taking any further action on the WTO General Agreement for Trade in Services (GATS)."
Vancouver City Councillors are concerned that proposed changes to the GATS structure -- namely, a change from the current "bottom-up" to a "top-down" or "horizontal" structure -- could affect existing jurisdiction for local governments, and may result in significant administrative burdens and costs. The 2 May 2000 motion also urged the Canadian government to "file a permanent and explicit exemption in the GATS limiting application to areas of Federal jurisdiction to ensure sub-national jurisdictions maintain local flexibility and control over the delivery of public services."
Vancouver also asked the province of British Columbia to establish a Trade Advisory Committee to enable stakeholders to engage in consultations on international trade issues.
ISSN 1492-7187, TRADE POLICY MONITOR, August 2000,
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