Canada and the European Union have given themselves until next year to define a new, “ever-closer association” that will no longer make Canada an “associate member” of the European bloc, according to a new draft joint statement.
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Canada → give → statement
The new draft document was circulated to the 27 member states of the EU and Canada on Wednesday, the eve of a trilateral meeting between the heads of the European Commission, the European Council and Prime Minister Mark Carney in Montreal.
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document → circulate → Montreal
It confirms that the EU has stepped away from naming Canada an “associate member” of the union as proposed by European Commissioner President Ursula von der Leyen last month.
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EU → confirm → Leyen
European outlets such as Rapporteur reported that Germany had led the push by roughly a half-dozen countries against the new, undefined term.
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Germany → report → term
The meeting aims to kick off continue ongoing negotiations for a new “alliance for the future” between Canada and the EU that European officials recently described as making Canada the closest non-member ally in union history.
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Canada → aim → history
Canada and the EU will “work to define by the 2027 EU-Canada Summit the concept of an ever-closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself,” reads the draft joint statement obtained by National Post.
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statement → work → Post
The draft agreement — which sources stress could still change — reveals that both parties have concluded “substantive negotiations” on a new Digital Trade Agreement (DTA) that will supplement the existing free-trade deal between Canada and the EU.
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that → stress → Canada
The DTA “will improve legal certainty and predictability, facilitate cross-border data flows, and enhance confidence in the digital economy for businesses and consumers.”
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DTA → improve → businesses
During a background briefing with reporters, senior European officials explained that the deal would harmonize rules on digital commerce and specifics like e-contracts and duties on electronic transmissions.
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deal → explain → transmissions
The final agreement is expected to be signed by Carney, von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa on Friday after a trilateral meeting in Montreal.
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agreement → expect → Montreal
The Oct. 28 document also promises to look into faster money transfer solutions between Europe and Canada.
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document → promise → Europe
“We will also support work toward connecting instant payment systems to facilitate faster, lower cost and more seamless cross-border transactions, making it easier for Canadians and Europeans to conduct business, invest and transfer funds across the two economies.”
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Canadians → support → economies
The draft agreement also states that Canada has reached an agreement with the European Investment Bank that will facilitate bloc members’ investments in Canadian critical minerals.
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that → state → minerals
The document also confirms Canada’s intent to join the Ukraine Support Loan, a 90 billion Euro program designed to help the country defend itself in the face of Russia’s military invasion.
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country → confirm → invasion
But it does not specify how much Carney’s government is ready to put into the program.
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government → specify → program
The EU has been increasingly looking to non-European countries to boost financial support for Ukraine, which faces a 70 billion Euro financial shortfall in coming years.
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which → look → years
The draft agreement also commits to building new sub-sea cable infrastructure between Canada, Europe and Asia.
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agreement → commit → Canada
Canada in particular has very few wired connections with Europe amid growing fears of sabotage by China or Russia of such critical connectivity infrastructure.
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Canada → have → infrastructure
While Carney has spoken of wanting to boost labour, research and student mobility between the EU and Canada, there are no firm commitments in the deal.
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Carney → speak → deal
“Canada and the EU will launch discussions on cooperating on skills development and enhancing labour and researcher mobility, and talent attraction, with a focus on reducing barriers for young people and facilitating mobility for highly skilled workers and researchers and promoting greater recognition of professional qualifications,” reads the draft document.
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document → launch → qualifications
During a background briefing on the meeting, senior government officials said much work is being done to boost Canada’s participation in two key EU programs: Horizon and Erasmus+.
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work → say → programs
Canada joined an earlier iteration of the program in 2024 and Carney is keen on integrating the next version of the fund.
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Carney → join → fund
“I think we all feel a sense of importance of trying to move quickly with respect to these issues,” said one official.
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official → think → issues
“I think it is of importance for us that we encourage as much collaboration as possible with respect to our research communities.”
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we → think → communities
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