Status: Ratified 3 January 2019
Finland has a unicameral system requiring the Eduskunta to ratify CETA. The Eduskunta approved CETA’s ratification in May 2018, with formal notification in January 2019. Ratification was led by Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and his coalition government, formed by the Centre Party, Blue Reform and the National Coalition Party.
Public debate
Finland ratified CETA with relatively limited contestation. Political parties opposed to CETA were largely on the left, joining CSOs with concerns regarding social provisions. Finland opted out of social welfare, healthcare services and the statutory employment pensions insurance schemes under CETA. Opponent CSOs included CRASH, the Coalition for Research and Action for Social Justice and Human Dignity and Luonto-Liitto, the Finnish Nature League. Proponents of CETA included major Finnish export associations, citing keen interest in the Canadian market and procurement tenders.
Trade data
Finland had a trade surplus in goods trade with Canada of €379 million in 2021 (Eurostat). Moreover, imports from Canada were €436 million, 2% of Finland’s imports from outside the EU . Exports were €815 million, 2.7% of Finland’s extra-EU exports (Eurostat). Canada-Finland bilateral goods trade (imports + exports) grew by €326 million, or 33.8%, between 2016 and 2019 (Statistics Canada).
Sources
Corporate Europe Observatory. (November 2016). European and Canadian civil society groups call for rejection of CETA. Link
Eduskunta Riksdagen. (May 2018). “The Parliament accepted the CETA agreement.” Link.
Eschbach, A. The Ratification Process in EU Member States – A presentation with particular consideration of the TTIP and CETA free trade agreements. Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. Link
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