Building a Stronger EU‑Canada Partnership for Security, Trade, and Climate

EU‑Canada Partnership Recommendation – 2026

The European Parliament recommends that the EU and Canada deepen their partnership in a world where great‑power rivalry, supply‑chain fragility, protectionism, trade weaponisation, climate change and political instability are rising. The EU and Canada share a commitment to democracy, rule of law, human rights and a rules‑based international order, and they have already signed several key agreements:

• Strategic Partnership Agreement (signed 30 Oct 2016, in force 1 Apr 2017)
• Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) (provisional 21 Sep 2017) – has lifted 99 % of tariff lines, increased trade by 63 % and added €75.6 billion in goods and services.
• Raw‑Materials Partnership (21 Jun 2021)
• Digital Partnership (23 Nov 2023)
• Green Alliance (23 Nov 2023)
• Security & Defence Partnership (23 Jun 2025) – Canada is the only non‑European country in the EU’s SAFE programme.
• Canada‑EU Joint Ministerial Committee (fourth meeting 12 Nov 2025)

The recommendation calls for a new, stronger institutional framework that turns the current geopolitical challenges into opportunities for deeper cooperation. Key points are:

1. Elevate the partnership – Treat the current global rupture as a chance to raise the EU‑Canada Strategic Partnership to a new level, implementing the 2025 summit’s conclusions quickly and fully.

2. Strengthen security and defence ties –

• Expand joint work on counter‑hybrid warfare, cyber threats, terrorism, and the Russia‑Ukraine conflict.
• Integrate Canada into EU defence technology and industrial bases, including 5G security, drone and counter‑drone capabilities, and military mobility.
• Coordinate sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Russia, support Ukraine’s sovereignty, and help Moldova and Belarus.
• Build a biannual foreign‑policy dialogue and deepen cooperation on the Indo‑Pacific, the Middle East, and the Arctic.

3. Boost trade, digital trade and investment –

• Promote CETA’s benefits, especially for small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Negotiate a separate digital‑trade agreement that respects EU data rules, protects consumers, and supports SMEs.
• Improve regulatory cooperation, enforce CETA’s sustainable‑development chapter, and involve civil society and indigenous peoples.
• Encourage Canada’s participation in EU procurement and in the EU‑Canada High‑Level Energy Dialogue on hydrogen, low‑carbon tech and nuclear cooperation.

4. Advance multilateralism – Work together to defend the UN, WTO, NATO, G7 and G20, and to reform international institutions. Strengthen cooperation in multilateral lending, capital‑market synergies and defence financing.

5. Arctic cooperation –

• Recognise the Arctic’s growing strategic, environmental and economic importance.
• Deepen joint research, security, and environmental monitoring.
• Protect indigenous peoples’ rights, promote sustainable resource extraction, and counter militarisation by Russia and China.
• Build a dedicated EU‑Canada Arctic framework for joint infrastructure protection and climate adaptation.

6. People‑to‑people and knowledge exchange – Expand cultural, educational and research ties, including Horizon Europe participation, Erasmus+ mobility, and recognition of professional qualifications (e.g., architects, engineers, accountants).

7. Promote democratic resilience and equality – Collaborate on media freedom, electoral integrity, social cohesion, AI governance, and gender equality, drawing on EU and Canadian initiatives.

The Parliament urges the EU Council, Commission and the High Representative to adopt these measures, thereby turning the EU‑Canada partnership into a robust, multi‑dimensional alliance that can face the challenges of the 2020s and beyond.