Abstract:
The European Union and Canada are working to establish a comprehensive new relationship covering all areas from trade to security. Both sides hope to build a new alliance to deal with the political landscape of global powers dominated by the United States. According to people familiar with the preparations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce relevant plans when she delivers the EU State of the Union address in Strasbourg, France, on September 16. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will attend the speech and address MEPs the following day.
An unnamed Canadian official said that the Carney government has made deepening its partnership with the EU a top priority and is actively studying all feasible options other than formal membership of the EU. Discussions focused particularly on "strategic capabilities," including cooperation in areas such as defence, space exploration and scientific research.
The official said it was unclear whether new legal tools would be needed to formalize the partnership, but discussions were ongoing and the Carney government would also consult with Canadian provinces and industry.
A spokesman for Carney's office declined to comment. A spokesman for the European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The content of Von der Leyen's speech next week is still being drafted and could still be tweaked before it is delivered.
The arrangements will be designed to cover all areas of the relationship, including trade, security, supply chains and critical raw materials, people familiar with the matter said. The United States and Canada have recently imposed retaliatory tariffs on each other, and Trump has repeatedly criticized the EU's trade policies and continues to send signals that he intends to annex Greenland to the United States.
A person familiar with the matter said that without joining the EU, the EU and Canada hope to draw closer to each other as much as possible within the scope of the law. The two sides have also discussed cooperating through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multilateral trade agreement to which Canada is a member.
The EU and Canada currently have an ambitious trade agreement and a security and defense partnership.
The two sides plan to hold a summit in Canada in October.
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