In application of the Declaration of Enhanced Partnership between France and Canada, signed in Paris on January 22, 1997, aimed at
reinforcing cooperation between France and Canada and increasing the number of their joint undertakings, both bilaterally and in the
international area, the following program proposes targeted activities conducive to the achievement of the ten identified priority
objectives.
This action program will be reviewed on a regular basis and its implementation will be assessed during the annual meeting between the
Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada. In addition,
implementation in the area of cooperation and operational activities will be based on regular contacts between senior representatives of
France and of Canada responsible for the areas involved. The two parties also agree that the Canada-France/Inter-Parliamentary
Association will serve as a parliamentary channel for the activities launched by the parties under the Action Program and, as
appropriate, may submit recommendations on actions undertaken to the government authorities involved.
I. Expand bilateral cooperation
1) Economic, industrial and commercial exchanges
The France-Canada Joint Economic Commission will continue to prepare a report every two years on
actions undertaken in the field of economic, industrial and commercial exchanges as part of this Action Program, and will promote new
initiatives, specifically by the private sector.
a) Increased trade
In order to work toward the objective of increased trade stated in the Declaration of Enhanced Partnership, the Canadian party has
issued a five-year plan for trade development with
France, specifying the following areas as priority sectors for trade promotion, partnerships and technology exchanges: information
technology, agri-food, aeronautics and space, environmental industries, consumer goods, cultural products and services, health and
tourism. Efforts will be made to involve Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises in developing business on the French market and to
expand cooperation between Canadian and French small and medium-sized enterprises.
For its part, the French party is implementing a strategy organized around better promotion of the support available to small and
medium-sized enterprises; greater awareness of the Canadian market on the part of French business firms; and implementation of activities
to promote French firms in Canada.
The priority sectors identified by France for promotion of its business firms and industrial cooperation activities are the following:
information technology, agri-food, aeronautics and space, defence industries, environment, health, automobile subcontracting, surface
transportation, energy and tourism. In addition, France will work to enhance its presence in Western Canada and Atlantic Canada,
specifically by including these regions in a European initiative.
b) Development of reciprocal investments and strategic partnerships
The partnership agreement between the Banque de développement des PME and the Business Development
Bank of Canada provides a sound basis for reciprocal investments by small and medium-sized enterprises. The two countries also agree
to encourage the recent initiatives designed to initiate cooperation on technological partnerships. They express satisfaction with the
signing, on October 31, 1998, of a partnership agreement between the Industrial Research Assistance Programme of NRC (IRAP) and the Agence de valorisation de la recherche (ANVAR). Moreover,
this cooperation will enable increased exchanges and facilitate Canadian participation in EUREKA and the European Union's Framework Program.
In addition, two complementary missions, the efforts of which will be supported by each Party, will work on promoting reciprocal
investments: the mission to Canada of the Ambassador responsible for international investment, and the mission to France of the Canadian
Deputy Minister responsible for consolidating and expanding French investment in Canada. The two Parties will also assist the
organization of private-sector missions as required.
Lastly, France and Canada reaffirm their interest in major public projects which will make a vital contribution to reciprocal
investments and strategic partnerships.
2) Information and telecommunications technologies
Establishment of the Working Group on Information and Communications Technologies has resulted in significant progress in this area.
This group will facilitate and promote joint France-Canada partnerships.
The two parties agree that priority must be given to development of electronic commerce and have noted the importance of the OECD conference held in Ottawa in October 1998 on this topic. The two parties are pleased with
the organization by the Working Group, in cooperation with the private sector, of a round table on electronic commerce in connection with
this conference. They agree to launch a process of reflection on the types of support to be provided to small and medium-sized
enterprises as part of the anticipated annual operations, in order to facilitate their participation in trade fairs and the establishment
of strategic partnerships.
The two parties are also pleased with the progress of the bilateral Working Group on Cultural Multimedia
Products, whose first report was submitted to the France-Canada Joint Economic
Commission in April 1998. The two parties agree to support joint information technology projects such as the Nouvelle-France Virtual Museum, the CALLIOPEE project (Francophone shared classroom), the New Media Centre at the Canadian
Cultural Centre in Paris, and the Canada-France Internet Site launched in October 1997. In this connection they agree to support
establishment of a virtual secretariat that might be accommodated on the Cultural Centre server in Paris. In addition, the parties agree
that the second series of international Francophone meetings on technology and museum institutions will be held in Canada in the Fall of
1999.
The two parties note the role played by the cultural and scientific services of their respective embassies in developing cooperation
in the area of information technology.
b) Telecommunications
With liberalization of the telecommunications services market in both countries, along with major regulatory and institutional
changes, France and Canada agree to continue bilateral discussions every year on telecommunications policy, through the advisory
group.
3) Cultural relations
France and Canada reaffirm that cultural relations are a central component of their bilateral relationship and reiterate their wish to
take their cooperation even further, both in traditional areas and in new information technology and new media. The two parties note that
they desire the Joint Cultural Commission to meet in the near future.
France and Canada will use the bilateral Cultural Agreement, the Agreement on Museum Cooperation and Exchanges, joint commissions on
audiovisual media and the Agreement on Audiovisual Co-production to continue their close co-operation, promote reciprocal financial
interests in the audiovisual sector and promote trade in this sector. The two parties will also support the Tripartite Working Group on
the Audiovisual Sector.
France and Canada reaffirm their commitment to TV5, an effective instrument for multilateral exchange
within la Francophonie, which must keep pace with an increasingly competitive audiovisual environment. To this end, they fully support
the modernization plan put forward by TV5 and adopted at the last TV5 ministerial conference, both in its technical and its programming
aspects.
In addition, the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris, the cultural services of the Embassy of France in Ottawa and the various branches
of the Alliance française as well as the educational institutions contracted to the Agence pour l'Enseignement du Français
à l'Étranger across Canada, will continue to be the preferred means of dissemination and co-operation in this area.
The two parties resolve to increase their joint efforts in the field of educational cooperation, specifically through new
communications technology.
France and Canada will use the Cultural Agreement as well as administrative agreements and existing programs to facilitate and
increase exchanges of students, researchers and interns. They will simplify the administrative formalities for admitting Canadian
teachers employed in France and French teachers employed in Canada, including the Collège Français de Montréal,
Collège Stanislas, Collège Marie de France, Lycée Claudel, Lycée Français de Toronto, École
bilingue de Toronto, École Gabrielle Roy, Lycée Pasteur de Calgary and École Française de Vancouver.
4) Scientific and technical relations
France and Canada are pleased that the tenth session of the Joint Scientific Commission was held in Ottawa on September 29, 1998, and
that it resulted in a report on cooperation in priority areas (agriculture, forestry and arboriculture, fisheries and oceans, medicine
and biotechnology,
information and communications technologies, humanities and social sciences), which were confirmed on this occasion. It has also been
agreed to give special attention to the biotechnology sector and to the new information and communications technologies sector and to
facilitate technological cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises.
The two countries also agree to enhance their partnership in basic science particularly mathematics. In this context, they resolve to
enhance their cooperation between the Institut Henri Poincaré and the Fields Institute.
The two countries agree to increase exchanges of researchers and facilitate access to the laboratories and programs of each country in
a balanced manner, both in bilateral and multilateral relations.
At the institutional level, the two countries confirm that they intend to continue to intensify relations between:
the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
(CNRS);
the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche
Médicale (INSERM);
the Research Branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA). At a bilateral
meeting held in June, 1998 there was a progress report on current projects and exploration of new avenues of cooperation.
the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER);
the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES);
the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Departement des Sciences de l'Homme et de la
Société of the CNRS.
All of the above are specifically in connection with the memoranda of understanding between the two parties.
5) Regional cooperation (Saint-Pierre and Miquelon)
The two parties will continue their regional co-operation in Atlantic Canada. Building on the foundation established by the signature
and implementation of the Bilateral Agreement for Regional Cooperation and the regular meetings of the "Atlantic Canada - Saint-Pierre
and Miquelon" joint commissions, the two parties agree to give special attention to the following sectors: animal quarantines,
environment, tourism, air transportation, customs clearance and transhipment issues, training, and also cultural and sports exchanges,
the audiovisual field, transportation (air and marine), research and petroleum development.
6) Sector-based activities
Canada and France agree to expand and develop their cooperation in the fields of exchange of persons, justice, health, agriculture,
fisheries, forestry, aeronautics and space, customs, national defence and industrial cooperation, as well as environment. In particular,
they agree as follows:
a) Exchange of persons
to jointly examine reciprocal ways of reinforcing and facilitating the exchange of persons, in particular trainees;
b) Justice
to organize periodic meetings of the competent authorities in order to accelerate and facilitate activities under the treaties
covering extradition, transfer of inmates and legal assistance;
to negotiate an agreement on sharing of forfeited funds and equivalent cash amounts and,
to coordinate their legal cooperation efforts so that the nationals involved can be referred to the proper jurisdictions.
c) Health
to provide for consultations at the ministerial level;
to develop cooperation on the fight against smoking and communicable disease, and in the area of pharmaceuticals;
to pursue the implementation of a cycle of employee exchanges between the Agence Française du Médicament and the
Therapeutic Products Program and the Health Policy Section of Health Canada;
to promote information exchanges, specifically with regard to:
1) their respective health systems;
2) home care programs.
d) Agriculture
to continue the cooperation begun under the 1996 bilateral agreement for promotion of exchanges of public servants working in their
respective departments of Agriculture;
to promote reciprocal investment in the agri-food sector.
e) Fisheries
to continue, in a spirit of trust and co-operation, implementation of the memorandum of the Agreement between Canada and France on
mutual fisheries relations;
The parties reiterate the importance of mutual information exchanges on each Party's management measures for rational exploitation and
preservation of fisheries resources.
f) Forestry
to follow up on the minutes of the May 1996 Joint Scientific Commission meeting which provide for exchanges of information on the
research structure of the Canadian Forest Service and identification of opportunities for bilateral cooperation in this sector.
g) Aeronautics and space
to strengthen the links between their small and medium-sized enterprises in the aeronautics sector by promoting reciprocal visits of
trade delegations; and,
to encourage industrial cooperation and partnerships between the aeronautics and space industries of the two countries, with special
emphasis on Canadian and European aeronautics and space programs, specifically through their respective industry associations, i.e. the
Groupement des industries françaises et l'Aérospatial (GIFAS) and the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada
(AIAC).
h) Customs
to continue regular information exchanges between Revenue Canada and France's Direction générale des douanes et droits
indirects under the 1979 agreement on mutual assistance with regard to customs;
to sign as promptly as possible the letter of understanding on research and development and on the implementation of technologies and
methods for contraband detection; and
to pursue customs cooperation efforts within the framework of the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC), the CCLEC's
joint information office and the World Customs Organization, and to develop projects in this area, including those having to do with the
exchange of information.
i) National defence and industrial cooperation
to strengthen the institutional and operational links between the two countries' armies by taking advantage of current or future
peace-keeping and peacebuilding operations;
to develop cooperation in the area of armaments by such means as maintaining a dialogue on matters relating to military
communications satellites, the ERYX anti-tank missile, the LG1 light GIAT 105mm gun and its ammunition, command information systems and
anti-personnel mine detection and destruction systems, and on future equipment programs for both countries.
j) Environment
to revive the bilateral consultations on their environment policies under the 1991 bilateral Memorandum of Understanding for
Scientific Cooperation in the area of the Environment;
to enhance the effectiveness of their multilateral activities through such means as information exchanges when preparing for major
multilateral conferences.
k) Foreign affairs
to continue exchanges of diplomats under the 1996 agreement.
II Co-ordinate their international activities on priority issues
1) Analysis and forecasting
A valuable dialogue is already in place on the issues underlying, in the medium and long terms, evolution of the international system
and the two countries' foreign policies. The two countries agree to continue the annual meetings between the Director of the Centre
d'analyse et de prévision of France and the Director General of the Planning Secretariat of Canada. The two countries also agree,
as required and depending upon circumstances, to include other partners in these discussions.
2) Transatlantic relations
France and Canada reiterate their dedication to specific implementation of the Canada-European Union Action Plan. For this purpose,
and in compliance with internal co-operation within the European Union, the two parties agree to communicate to each other their
priorities for action.
In the area of trade policy, France and Canada are committed to ongoing efforts to promote trade in goods and services in the European
context, and to reduce or eliminate tariff or other barriers. The two parties are pleased with the signature on May 14, 1998, in London,
of Canada-EU agreements in the area of competition policy, mutual recognition and compliance assessment.
With respect to science and technology policy, France and Canada undertake to promote, within the European context, exchanges of
researchers and joint participation in tender calls.
3) Multilateral trade issues
Without prejudice to the jurisdictions assigned to the European Commission in this field, France and Canada resolve to undertake more
systematic exchanges of views during regular meetings of officials in order to:
align their respective viewpoints concerning follow-up on the WTO ministerial conference, specifically as regards investment;
cooperate together to foster a more secure and predictable context for the promotion and preservation of cultural identities during
multilateral negotiations;
work on developing common positions on extraterritorial measures; and
cooperate on the regional integration movements of current interest to the two countries.
4) United Nations
France and Canada propose to work together to contribute to resolve the United Nations financial crisis, to consult each other on
reform of the United Nations system, and to co-ordinate their positions more closely in all UN organizations as well as UN agencies and
subsidiary bodies.
Issues associated with this cooperation will be specifically addressed during the annual meeting between the Secretary General of the
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The two parties also agree to hold annual
consultations prior to the United Nations General Assembly.
5) Official development assistance
France and Canada recall their dedication to implementation of the commitments made in international forums (UN, IFI, OECD DAC) and
within the G8, and for cooperation on official development assistance sectoral and geographical priorities. They wish to see greater
co-ordination of their respective assistance initiatives and increased effectiveness of those initiatives. Specifically, they agree to
develop common initiatives targeting poverty, sustainable development, and development research.
The two parties resolve to enhance their co-operation in international research forums, especially in that of the World Bank and the
corresponding international centres.
For these purposes, the two parties resolve to:
increase their cooperation at the level of permanent missions or in their respective capitals in international forums (OECD, United
Nations institutions) and in the G8, especially on the eve of important deadlines;
expand the annual bilateral consultations on Africa, now in their 25th year, to all official development assistance issues;
raise these issues during an annual meeting of the senior civil servants concerned.
The two parties reiterate their desire to implement the conclusions of the aide-mémoire signed on December 4, 1997 in Ottawa by
France's Secretary of State for Cooperation and la Francophonie and Canada's Minister for International Cooperation on the occasion of
the 25th annual consultation on Africa.
6) Francophonie
France and Canada will maintain and develop their cooperation within la Francophonie. They agree to include this issue on the agenda
of the annual meetings of the Ministers responsible for Development and la Francophonie and the annual discussions between the Secretary
General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
France and Canada reaffirm their interest in development of the French language on the information highways and they wish to work in
this sense within the institutions of la Francophonie. In this perspective, France confirms its financial participation to the extent of
21.5 million French francs per year to the Francophone Fund for the Development of Information Highways, included in the action plan
adopted during the Conference of Francophone Ministers for Development of Information Highways held in Montreal last May, and confirmed
during the Hanoi Summit. For its part, Canada undertakes to make a payment of CAN$5 million to support implementation of the Montreal
Action Plan, including CAN$3.5 million via the Single Multilateral Fund of the Agence de la Francophonie.
The French Party emphasizes its interest in teaching of French in the education system, specifically in immersion schools.
7) Regional issues
France and Canada resolve to expand their annual consultations on Africa to all regions threatened by instability and to include these
issues, and also co-ordination of humanitarian policies and actions, on the agenda of the annual meeting between the Secretary General of
the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and to initiate cooperation as soon as a
regional crisis emerges.
This cooperation could be based on the existing consultations between the Director of African and Malagasy Affairs in the French
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for Africa in the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs.
The two countries will strive to identify the peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations in which they can work together.
The two parties agree to review possibilities for cooperation in the area of peacebuilding, both at the government level and in civil
society, in order to combine their efforts to develop a genuine capability for non-violent conflict management in third countries.
France and Canada will initiate consultations between the Director for Asia and Oceania and the Assistant Deputy Minister for
Asia.
8) International issues
a) Drugs and crime
France and Canada agree to intensify their constructive discussions on action against organized crime, high technology-related crime,
drug trafficking, money laundering and crime generally, in such bodies as the G8 expert group, the FATF (Financial Action Task Force),
the FATFC (Financial Action Task Force for the Caribbean) and as part of the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly on drugs.
The two parties also agree to enhance their exchanges of views in the area of criminal justice and crime prevention, especially under
the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, including preparations for the 20th United Nations Congress on the
Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (in 2000), but also in exchanges within the G8.
France and Canada, as founding countries and principal contributors of funds for the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime
established in Montreal, agree to give high priority to crime prevention at the national and international levels. The two countries
agree to continue the important exchanges of information on these issues and the most promising approaches and models for prevention.
The two parties also agree:
to examine the possibility of joint action in Haiti to strengthen anti-drug action as part of traditional police co-operation;
to enhance bilateral customs cooperation and continue the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's cooperation with the OCRTIS from an
operational standpoint, the SCTIP from a technical standpoint and the Gendarmerie Nationale;
to consult one another on drug interdiction assistance programs and projects in the Caribbean, including the Barbados plan (UNIDCP/EU
drug control assistance program in the Caribbean, CICAD programs of the OAS and those of the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council);
to coordinate the drug interdiction assistance programs and projects in the Caribbean with the CICAD programs of the OAS and those of
the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council.
b) Immigration and refugees, trafficking in human beings
France and Canada confirm their desire to continue their cooperation in the many multilateral organizations including the United
Nations, the IOM, the UNHCR, etc., with the goal of combatting both trafficking in human beings and illicit immigration, as well as the
organized crime entities that profit from such activities. The two parties also undertake to work jointly on establishing mechanisms to
react to major international movements of refugee claimants and illegal migrants.
The two countries undertake to work together on developing mechanisms for effective management of migrations and refugee movements and
to cooperate and exchange information on immigrant integration and factors causing migrations. The parties also agree to exchange
information and on results associated with use of information technology concerning migrations.
Canada and France also plan to continue their cooperation and information exchanges on international movements of individuals,
especially as regards the measures necessary to combat illicit immigration and smuggling of individuals, as well as trafficking in women
and children.
c) Children's rights
The two parties agree to make an active contribution to drafting of the optional protocol to the Convention on Children's Rights
regarding selling of children and child prostitution and pornography.
9) Strategic affairs, disarmament and non-proliferation
France and Canada decide to reinforce their cooperation, both in capitals and in the appropriate international organizations, in the
area of security and defence, notably on the following issues:
specific issues related to transatlantic and European security arrangements (NATO, WEU and OSCE);
disarmament issues;
peacekeeping issues (see 7);
non-proliferation issues, especially the reinforced review process under the NPT.
France and Canada also reiterate that banning of anti-personnel mines is a priority for their international action. In this
perspective, they wish to work jointly on implementation of the Ottawa Treaty on global banning of anti-personnel landmines and to
cooperate on international accession to the treaty in all the appropriate forums.
