EU and Canadian leaders to meet

EU Council President Charles Michel and President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today via video conference.

The leaders are set to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recovery, and progress in implementing the EU-Canada trade deal (CETA) and Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA), both of which were signed in 2016. Talks will also address the post-pandemic world, focusing on assisting the economic recovery of low-income nations through debt postponement as well as re-affirming their mutual commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050.

Ottawa and Brussels, close trading partners with shared values, are unlikely to disagree on many of their agenda items. However, further economic integration beyond CETA with Europe may prove difficult in the long-run. Canada has deeper trade ties with the US and East Asia through the NAFTA and the CPTPP trade agreements and will likely prioritise future trade with these blocs over the EU.

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