EU and Canada still disagree on the nature of their ties ahead of Montreal summit

Canada and the European Union want to bring their relationship much closer, yet the two sides still do not agree on what that relationship actually is. An EU-Canada summit is due this week in Montreal, and leaders are still negotiating the language of the outcome, the label for the partnership and the practical deliverables.

The upcoming meeting was discussed by Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur, hosts of the Brussels Playbook podcast from Politico Europe.

Ukraine financing and the EU budget

The podcast also looks at Ukraine's growing financing needs. These are colliding with the dispute over the EU's next seven-year budget, as some member countries resist taking part in another common loan. That resistance complicates agreement on how further support for Ukraine should be funded.

The row over meat-related names

The third topic is Brussels' ongoing battle over the use of meat-related names for products. The debate has taken an unexpected turn, with bacon-flavoured crisps caught in the crossfire.

The source does not say what specific decisions have so far been taken on the summit, the Ukraine loan or the naming issue.