Ideas shaping the EU's outreach to Canada ahead of Carney's Brussels visit
The European Union is weighing closer economic and security ties with Canada as Donald Trump's trade war pushes Ottawa to seek allies beyond Washington. Officials expect concrete proposals in Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union speech ahead of an October EU-Canada summit in Montreal.
The European Union is exploring ways to pull Canada closer into its economic and security orbit as U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war forces Ottawa to look for partners beyond Washington. Fifteen officials, politicians and diplomats told POLITICO that discussions span several areas of cooperation.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is due to address the European Parliament this week, with an EU-Canada summit planned for October in Montreal. EU officials are considering what Commission President Ursula von der Leyen could concretely offer Canada during her State of the Union address on Wednesday.
The most ambitious ideas involve bringing Canada closer to the EU's single market, potentially along the lines of arrangements with Switzerland or Norway, including allowing Canadians to live and work across the 27-member bloc. Javier Moreno, who chairs the European Parliament's delegation for relations with Canada, has called for integrating Canada even more deeply than Switzerland.
Also under discussion is cooperation on critical raw materials, as Canada holds substantial reserves of copper, molybdenum, aluminum, nickel, lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements, along with processing infrastructure. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič pointed to potential joint projects and investment opportunities.
Officials are also considering deeper Canadian participation in the Erasmus+ education program, easier visa arrangements for touring artists, and expanding mutual recognition of professional qualifications beyond the existing architecture agreement. Von der Leyen could also press EU member states to ratify the 2016 EU-Canada trade agreement, CETA, which still awaits approval from ten capitals.
Šefčovič expects a digital trade agreement with Canada to be concluded by the end of the year. Defense and Arctic security are additional areas of focus — Canada already has access to the EU's €150 billion SAFE defense funding scheme, and Brussels is revising its Arctic Strategy to address emerging hybrid threats.
