From January 22 to 27, 2016, Mr. Pierre Marc Johnson, a former Premier of Quebec and counsel at Lavery recognized for his expertise in international trade and cross-border partnerships, was on a mission with Mr. Jacques Daoust, then Minister of Economy, Innovation and Exports , and Ms. Christine St-Pierre, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, as part of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiation process. Mr. Johnson, Québec’s head CETA negotiator, met with the Luxembourg President of the Chamber of Deputies, Mars Di Bartolomeo and testified at the Meeting of the Foreign and European Affairs Committee. There are some qualms in the EU about the Investors-States dispute settlement system that could delay ratification of the Agreement. Me Johnson has stated that while Canada was keeping an open mind about the EU’s concerns regarding the arbitration system, the “agreement’s worst enemy was time.”
