2025-2027 Work plan for Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) contact points
This evergreen work plan reflects a 3-year period (January 2025 - December 2027) and will be updated regularly, as appropriate.
Recommendation on SMEs:
1. Taking into account SMEs needs in the implementation of CETA, exchange SMEs related information, and consider ways to increase trade and investment opportunities under CETA for all EU and Canadian SMEs
Action points:
- Engage with Canadian and European Union (EU) SMEs, SME associations, and business support networks to share CETA promotional materials, address information needs, and exchange on various matters based on SME feedback. To be completed before the 2027 CETA Joint Committee.
- Promote the possibility to become International Partners of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) to relevant business support organizations in Canada (e.g. chambers of commerce, innovation agencies, etc.) To be completed before the 2027 CETA Joint Committee.
- Promote Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Canada to Canadian SMEs to encourage them to start business collaborations with European counterparts. To be completed before the 2027 CETA Joint Committee.
- Promote the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) in Canada to encourage local entrepreneurs to register in the database and participate to a business exchange with a European counterpart.
- Promote the European Cluster Collaboration Platform among Canadian cluster organisations and encourage them to register to easily connect with their European counterparts. Promote the international matchmaking events organised by the European Cluster Collaboration Platform in Canada among Canadian cluster organisations.
2. Ensuring that the information included in the Canadian and EU websites are up-to-date and relevant for SMEs, and recommend any additional information that the other Party's SMEs Contact Point may publish on its website.
Action points:
- Canada and the EU to periodically review the respective SME-related portals set up in implementation of CETA SME Recommendation and identify areas for possible updates and improvements, for example by including links to useful information materials about CETA published by the other Party.
3. Encouraging, if appropriate, efforts of committees and dialogues established under CETA to integrate SME-related considerations in their work.
Action points:
- Encourage CETA committees and dialogues to apply a SME lens to their committee work and offer assistance in identifying opportunities to integrate SME considerations, where necessary.
4. Considering any other matter of interest to SMEs under CETA, as appropriate.
Action points:
- Consider the results of the EU Commission’s ex-post assessment of CETA and possibly identify actions to address related findings.
- Hold an internal webinar with SME Contact Points and possibly other colleagues to exchange on topics of interest and relevance for SMEs.
5. Reporting periodically to the CETA Joint Committee, and make, as appropriate, suggestions for its consideration.
Action Points:
- Updates to be provided to the CETA Joint Committee whenever they meet.
- Date modified:
