cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/11212632
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to announce the plans in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on September 16. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to attend and give a speech the following day.
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Carney and his government have made a deepened partnership with the EU their top priority and are looking at everything except actual EU membership, a Canadian source told Bloomberg.
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Both sides reportedly want to get as close as they legally can without Canada’s full EU membership … It is still undecided whether new legal tools are needed to anchor the arrangement.
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In February this year, the EU and Canada became the first non-European country to participate in the EU’s Security and Defence Partnership (SAFE).
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I for one appreciate the outright admission the goal is as much integration as possible, except full membership as that would not work well for Canada’s context and would accelerate western anxiety. Heavy trade and military partners on the other hand? Sounds good!