Canada and the EU sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
Driving the news: Canada and the EU are reportedly primed to unveil plans to form a new comprehensive partnership next week, sources told Bloomberg News. Per the report, the two are trying to get “as close as legally possible” without Canada formally joining the bloc.
Catch-up: Canada isn’t joining the EU — ministers aren’t interested and it would be nearly impossible anyway — but the feds have pulled all the levers at their disposal to cozy up over the past year-plus. This includes inking a new security partnership, joining a European defence fund, enhancing their trade deal, and even joining the Eurovision song contest.
Other things Canada could do include joining the European Political Community — a planning group formed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — or participating in the Erasmus+ program that funds exchanges and mobility for university students.
Why it matters: It’s not yet clear what this new partnership will entail, but it could involve the creation of new mechanisms and legal tools to achieve the integration the two sides desire.
EU Ambassador to Canada Geneviève Tuts suggested as much in a Toronto Star interview last week, saying, “There is no existing integration model that we could simply mirror. We’re going to be creative and imaginative. There needs to be a name that best illustrates the depth of our relationship. I don’t think the word exists yet.”
Bottom line: For as long as Trump is in office (and perhaps even beyond), the trade and defence relationship with the U.S. cannot be counted on. The EU presents a willing buyer for energy and minerals and a military partner that can provide much-needed stability.—QH
