The European Union and Canada are preparing to announce a large-scale expansion of cooperation. The summit in Montreal on 29–30 October will serve as the venue for presenting the new partnership.
The document, obtained by Politico, describes a wide range of areas. Among them are accelerating investment in critical minerals projects, strengthening supply chains, and building up resource stockpiles to guard against market fluctuations and geopolitical risks.
The parties also plan to jointly purchase 50 De Havilland firefighting aircraft. The equipment is to enter service in 2030 and be used both in Canada and in Europe to fight wildfires.
The draft joint statement emphasizes: the world is changing rapidly, and the partners face unprecedented geopolitical, trade, energy, technological and climate challenges. Canada and the EU intend to use "unprecedented access to trade, shared values and complementary economic advantages" for deeper integration.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier, in a State of the Union address, proposed opening the door for Canada to become the EU's first "associate member." She spoke of creating a technology alliance, integrating defense-industrial bases, joint Arctic projects, as well as cooperation in energy, AI, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and economic security.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the initiative. Negotiations will continue, and the details will be clarified at the October summit. The new agreement is meant to complement the existing CETA, in force since 2017, which has not yet been ratified by all EU countries.
Exactly what "associate membership" will look like and what specific obligations it will entail remains a subject of discussion. What will it give ordinary citizens and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic?
