Canada and the EU are preparing a new format of deeper partnership — Politico Europe
In Brussels, Canada and the European Union are preparing a package of new agreements to deepen their partnership over the next 12 months. This was stated by Canada’s ambassador to the EU, Jonathan Wilkinson, during the Brussels Playbook Live Summit, Politico Europe reports.
Agreements in several areas
Ottawa and Brussels are identifying areas for updating cooperation, including critical raw materials, artificial intelligence, research and innovation. According to Wilkinson, some of the agreements are planned to be signed at the joint EU-Canada summit in October.
The ambassador said that the Canadian side is focused primarily on practical initiatives intended to promote prosperity and economic security. According to him, the future agreements should lead to significantly closer relations between Canada and the EU, although the final name for this format has not yet been determined.
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Question of associate membership
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during her State of the European Union address last week that Canada could become the first associate member of the European Union. At the same time, Ottawa is downplaying the formal nature of this cooperation model.
The idea of associate membership has raised questions among EU diplomats. They noted that the capitals of member states had not been asked to support such a plan, while the EU’s founding treaties do not define an appropriate legal format. Two EU officials speaking on condition of anonymity explained that this could be the name for a new type of partnership, deeper than the existing trade, research and defence arrangements.
