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DAVOS, Switzerland (CP) - Quebec Premier Jean Charest is pushing for a free-trade deal between Canada and the European Union that he says could level the playing field with emerging markets.

Charest said Friday such an accord would allow Canada to tap the European market of 450 million consumers. He has already pitched the idea to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his provincial counterparts and says he has received a favourable reaction. Charest said Harper was "very enthusiastic."

Charest said a free-trade accord would help overcome obstacles to investment and stimulate the trade in goods and services. It would exclude agriculture.

"The European Union constitutes a market of relatively rich consumers who can buy our goods and our services," Charest said. "A deal would also facilitate the exchange of workers between Canada and Europe."

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It would undoubtedly be another corporate bill of rights.
"Free Trade" agreements are one of the main tools used for extending the neo-liberal globalization agenda.

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Actually, I think the European trade deals are very good for labour rights, labour mobility, environmental concerns... The EU is a lot more than just corporate free trade. The 'right' complains about the heavy beauracracy and several of the rules they point to suggest they may have a point (although they may just be strawmen as well), but I certainly think this proposal has merit.