Canada-European Union economic partnership - Quebec Employers Council expresses its full support for reaching a final agreement before year's end

MONTREAL, April 27, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The Quebec Employers Council took advantage of the speech delivered at the Port of Montréal today by the Senator Pierre Claude Nolin in the name of Honourable Ed Fast, the federal Minister of International Trade, to reiterate its support for the signing of an economic partnership agreement between Canada and the European Union.

"As the negotiations enter their final stretch, Québec employers are hoping the federal and provincial governments will be able to reach an agreement by the end of the year that will result in establishing increased collaboration with our European economic partners and will facilitate the movement of goods and services and manpower," stated Quebec Employers Council president, Yves-Thomas Dorval. "Such an agreement will help to diversify our markets and attract major investments that will generate sustainable prosperity beneficial to Quebecers and Canadians as a whole."

According to estimates the agreement will generate a 20% growth in bilateral trade between Canada and the European Union and increase Canada's annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $12 billion. Several economic sectors in which Québec excels, such as agri-food, aluminium, petro-chemical, forestry, fishing and the services sector will derive direct benefit from the impact of the agreement.

"With its many strong points, such as its abundant natural resources and favourable geographic situation, its manpower and outstanding institutions, its economic diversity, highly regarded development centres and its linguistic and cultural diversity, Québec has all the assets it needs to take advantage of an eventual economic partnership between Canada and the European Union. This agreement, combined with similar partnerships with countries such as India and China, is a favourable way to go in the longer term to allow Québec society to continue to prosper and thereby enhance the quality of life of its citizens."

The Quebec Employers Council brings together many of Québec's largest companies and the vast majority of sector-based employers' groups, making it Québec's sole employer federation.

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Patrick Lemieux
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