The European Union and Canada have displayed their alignment and shared values in the face of current global challenges during the EU-Canada Summit which took place on 23 and 24 November.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel were hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in the city of St John's, on the island of Newfoundland in eastern Canada.
The EU and Canada have been close partners over the years and have been working together on common priorities like Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and the emergence of new technologies.
The summit allowed leaders to take stock of the current geopolitical situation. They exchanged on the current conflict in the Middle East, condemning once more Hamas's barbaric terrorist attacks against Israel and welcoming the agreement to release hostages held by Hamas and the start of a humanitarian pause. Leaders expressed a shared commitment to prevent violence from spreading and to continue working towards peaceful coexistence on the basis of a two-state solution.
EU leaders and the Prime Minister also discussed the situation in Ukraine. "From day one of this war, Canada and the European Union have worked together closely", the President said, thanking Prime Minister Trudeau for that cooperation. The EU and Canada reiterated their support for Ukraine in response to Russia's illegal war of aggression, for as long as it takes. "And we continue to maintain pressure on Russia, with effective sanctions, in close coordination with other G7 partners," the President added.
Advancing the strategic partnership
A series of ambitious bilateral agreements were announced at the end of the summit. The EU and Canada concluded negotiations for Canada to become an associated country to Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research and innovation programme. Canada's new status will allow its researchers to benefit from the programme as their EU counterparts do. President von der Leyen highlighted that the EU and Canada "will work on the next generation of all these exciting new clean technologies, but also biotech, digital projects – you name it."
An EU – Canada Green Alliance was also concluded. This partnership is the most comprehensive form of bilateral engagement established under the European Green Deal and will enhance cooperation on climate, energy, environment, oceans, sustainable mobility, and more.
Moreover, President von der Leyen announced that the EU will join the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge that Prime Minister Trudeau launched at the COP26. The initiative seeks to increase carbon pricing coverage of global emissions to 60% by 2030.
President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Trudeau also presented a European Commission - Canada Hydrogen Action Plan with the aim of developing the market between the EU and Canada for hydrogen, a promising clean technology that can contribute to achieve the green transition.
Leaders also concluded an EU - Canada Digital Partnership to foster a digital transformation that is based on values. The partnership will increase cooperation on Artificial Intelligence (AI), with the aim of reaping its benefits while mitigating associated risks. It will also deepen cooperation on cybersecurity, online platforms, digital identity and skills.
The two sides welcomed their agreement on Passenger Name Record (PNR), which will facilitate the fight against terrorism and organised crime while fully respecting privacy and data protection standards.
Finally, the EU and Canada took stock of their trade relationship. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has improved trade and investment between the two sides. Over the last six years, CETA has helped to increase trade in goods by 66%, reaching €77 billion and delivering for European and Canadian people and businesses.
At the same time, President von der Leyen stressed that trade and economic cooperation can go further, elaborating notably on the field of critical raw materials. She extended an invitation for Canada to join the Critical Raw Materials Club that will be launched during the upcoming COP28. The President underlined Canada's importance in this field mentioning the country is "the only country in the Western hemisphere with all the raw materials required for lithium batteries. And the European Union is Canada's second largest export market. So I would say that this is a perfect match."
