NEWS RELEASE

Ref: 850-061/011

38th Annual Premiers' Conference
St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick - August 6 to 8, 1997

AGREEMENT ON INTERNAL TRADE

ST. ANDREWS - August 8, 1997 — Premiers reaffirmed their governments' commitments to ensure substantial further reductions in barriers to trade among the provinces and territories. Further efforts to encourage internal trade will enhance job creation and growth significantly across the country.

Premiers acknowledged that more progress should be made on this issue. Consequently, Premiers agreed on a major expansion of the initiative and mandated the Committee of Ministers on Internal Trade meet as soon as possible to conclude negotiations and present for ratification.

1. an arrangement to include open tendering provisions for MASH sector procurement, in a manner acceptable to all jurisdictions if possible; and,
2. to complete work on the Energy Chapter.

Premiers acknowledged that progress on implementation of the two-year-old Agreement on Internal Trade has been reasonably steady. However, some deadlines established in the Agreement have not been met and important issues remain under negotiation, including:

• extension of open procurement provisions to the "MASH" sector;
• reduction of the list of entities excluded from the procurement chapter (principally Crown Corporations);
• completion of an Energy Chapter;
• compliance of regulatory bodies with labour mobility provisions;
• review of the scope and coverage of the Agriculture Chapter;
• application of the Code of Conduct on investment incentives.

They also agreed to direct Ministers to examine, as a major priority, potential clarifications and improvements to the Agreement's Code of Conduct on Investment Incentives.

On the other outstanding issues Premiers directed Trade Ministers to conclude within six months a workplan with deadlines for completion of negotiations.

Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS)

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