FCM developed seven principles to help guide the federal government's negotiations with the European Union to ensure that the subnational procurement provisions of CETA treated municipal procurement as fairly and reasonably as possible. One of those provisions, for instance, was that there should be an allowance for exempting certain strategic or regionally important sectors from that particular rule. Indeed most provinces are forwarding to the federal government sectors that they believe are of regional significance or of strategic importance.
The reports, because all of the negotiations are secret, are that the province of Ontario would be certainly seeking to exempt its transit industry from the provisions of CETA, so our principles are designed to protect municipal accountability and responsibility for procurement in a fair and reasonable manner, understanding that freer trade will also benefit all communities as well. So we're trying to seek a balance there. Thus far the Minister of International Trade has been fairly firm that he believes our principles are in fact fair and reasonable and he intends to adhere to them.
Thus far, we're pretty happy with the progress, but of course the final agreement will tell the tale.