EU-Canada summit shows both sides tread carefully on closer ties
At the EU-Canada summit both sides looked to deepen cooperation beyond the US and China, but cautiously. Prime Minister Mark Carney said complementarities should strengthen sovereignty.
At a summit between the European Union and Canada, both sides signalled they want to broaden cooperation and look beyond the United States and China, but they are doing so carefully. Politico Europe summarised the main takeaways from the meeting.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the key point is that the complementarities between the two sides strengthen their sovereignty.
Differences over Canada's status
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promoted the idea of "associate member" status for Canada. Objections to this have come from several EU capitals. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz struck a different tone, referring instead to an "alliance for the future" between the EU and Canada.
The climate question
Politico also looks at Carney's climate record. Many Europeans see him as a climate champion, but the outlet writes that the prime minister used to be an eco-warrior and is much less so now.
Meanwhile, a dispute over climate law continues inside the EU. The European People's Party (EPP), the centre-right political grouping, is targeting a new carbon price on driving and heating, as well as rules on methane emissions. These moves are part of an EPP campaign to weaken EU climate legislation.
The source material does not give further details of specific agreements reached at the summit.
