Negotiations toward a new transatlantic pact between Canada and the European Union don’t include discussions for a full-scale free labour movement, but something more focused, Canada’s EU ambassador said ahead of the Canada-EU summit later this week in Montreal.
asserted
ambassador → include → Montreal
Canada and the EU are expected to use the summit to announce a new agreement that could touch on a number of issues including labour, critical minerals and energy.
uncertain
that → expect → labour
Jonathan Wilkinson, who took the Canadian ambassadorship in Brussels earlier this year after spending more than five years in the Liberal cabinet, told The Canadian Press in an interview the labour discussions are focusing on “specialized areas” where employers from both places can benefit from access to a shared labour pool.
asserted
employers → take → pool
He said any measures that would make it easier for workers and students to move between the two jurisdictions need to be approached in a “thoughtful way.”
asserted
workers → say → way
“We’re not talking about free movement of labour between Europe and Canada.
asserted
We → talk → Europe
But what we are talking about is in some specialized areas, it may be actually interesting and useful for both countries to have the ability to tap into labour pools,” Wilkinson said.
uncertain
Wilkinson → talk → pools
The ambassador did not cite specific sectors where labour mobility between Canada and the EU could be eased.
uncertain
mobility → cite → Canada
The EU and Canada have been discussing increased collaboration on critical minerals, technology, defence and clean energy.
asserted
EU → discuss → minerals
Wilkinson pointed to work already done by Canada and Europe on mutual accreditation for architects and said any future decisions about labour mobility would be focused on areas of “mutual benefit.”
Canada has also discussed joining Erasmus+, the European Union’s student exchange program, which offers study and training opportunities in member nations.
The exact nature of the new pact between Canada and the EU has been murky even from the leaders themselves.
asserted
nature → point → leaders
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in September a new alliance could make Canada an “associate” member of the 27-member bloc.
uncertain
Canada → say → bloc
But “associate membership” does not actually exist in the EU and Canadian officials have downplayed the use of that term.
asserted
officials → exist → term
Prime Minister Mark Carney used the term “alliance of the future” to describe the deal, which was first made public when he spoke to the EU Parliament in Strasbourg, France, last month.
asserted
he → use → Strasbourg
This week’s summit will be happening on the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Canada-Europe Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA.
asserted
summit → happen → Agreement
Nine EU members – France, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, Poland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Hungary – have not yet ratified that trade deal.
asserted
members → ratify → deal
Wilkinson said he’s spoken with all 27 of his EU member nation counterparts since he moved to Brussels and there is momentum in Europe to get more countries behind CETA.
asserted
he → say → CETA
He did not name specific nations.
asserted
He → name → nations
“I think there are a number of countries that will be moving in that direction over the coming months.
asserted
that → think → months
So that’s a process that will go along with the rest of this deepening of the relationship,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → relationship
One of the EU’s leading nations may have a new government soon.
uncertain
One → lead → government
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, is the current polling favourite to succeed Emmanuel Macron as president this spring.
asserted
Pen → succeed → president
Le Pen delivered a nearly hour-long speech to supporters Sunday that focused on her party’s nationalist, anti-immigrant positions.
asserted
that → deliver → positions
Wilkinson said politics is always dynamic and Europeans and Canadians will go on sharing values regardless of which party is in power in a particular nation.
asserted
party → say → nation
“I think in France, it’s a very important debate that they are having.
asserted
they → think → that
And I think that if in fact the government were to change, people will have to take stock of that,” he said.
asserted
he → think → that
“But I do think that the European Union is a much bigger project than any one government in any one country.
asserted
Union → think → country
And I have a lot of confidence that Europeans will find their way through this and be just fine.”
asserted
Europeans → have → this
Wilkinson said energy and critical minerals – including natural gas, hydrogen and nuclear power – will play a crucial role in the enhanced partnership between Canada and the EU.
asserted
energy → say → Canada
“We’re looking at … how can we, for example, encourage significant additional European investment in Canadian minerals projects.
asserted
we → look → projects
We’re talking about how can we think about things like stockpiling together so that we actually can help to stabilize the market,” Wilkinson said.
asserted
Wilkinson → talk → market
The European Investment Bank applied for an exemption from Canadian foreign banking rules earlier this month that would allow the state investor to operate in Canada as part of a critical minerals agreement.
asserted
investor → apply → agreement
Wilkinson said Canada and the European Union are both looking for ways to build up more infrastructure to refine and ship critical minerals and reduce China’s market dominance.
asserted
Canada → say → dominance
“That’s not a dependency that’s good for Canada.
asserted
that → ’ → Canada
That’s not a dependency good for the European Union.
asserted
That → ’ → Union
So we are looking at that,” he said.
asserted
he → look → that
The Aporia
