Canada-Europe partnership forming, EU envoy says
The European Union and Canada are in early discussions to develop a unique, deep-reaching security and economic partnership. Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to meet with EU officials in Strasbourg to outline the framework for this potential agreement.
Why it matters
This partnership could redefine transatlantic trade and security relations, potentially creating a new model for non-EU member cooperation.
OTTAWA — The European Union’s ambassador to Canada says the bloc is crafting a new partnership with Ottawa unlike anything that currently exists. “What we have in mind is something different from what we have with other countries,” Geneviève Tuts said in a Wednesday interview. “That will be something unique.” Prime Minister Mark Carney said last month he was pursuing even deeper ties with Europe after signing a defence-industrial pact in addition to the existing strategic partner agreement and a free-trade deal. “This fall, we will begin discussions with the European Union — the world’s second-largest economy — to build a much stronger and deeper security and economic partnership,” Carney said on Aug. 22. Tuts said what that looks like is still being worked out, but it won’t look exactly like arrangements the EU has with neighbours such as Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom.
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