Canada seeks legal clarity with EU
Experts told a House committee that vague promises from recent summits need to become binding laws to secure trade benefits.
By Bianca Ricci ·
Academics in European Union policy warned that Canada must convert recent diplomatic rhetoric into binding legal frameworks to secure lasting gains.
Nine of the 27 EU member states have not yet fully implemented the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, known as CETA. This incomplete status means the decade-old deal does not function as intended across the entire bloc.
University of Toronto professor Mark Manger told the House foreign affairs committee that many current agreements are merely expressions of intent. He noted that Mexico already holds similar arrangements with the EU that Canada is now seeking. Manger argued for adding economic and legal parameters to the existing trade deal to provide long-term certainty for Canadian firms.
Carleton University co-director Achim Hurrelmann described the recent push for associate membership as a symbolic gesture rather than a defined legal status. He stated that the European Commission had not clearly defined what this status would mean under EU law. Hurrelmann suggested that the concept serves as a symbolic affirmation of a deeper relationship, similar to moving from a common-law relationship to marriage.
Anand Sundar, a transatlantic defence adviser at the European Council on Foreign Relations, observed that Brussels is promoting associate membership despite objections from member states like Germany. He characterized the situation as a political game driven by the European Commission rather than the broader member states.
Hurrelmann highlighted friction points in the current trade deal, including Canadian food regulations that restrict imports and European complaints over Canadian dairy quotas and protected-origin labels for products like feta cheese. He noted that innovative clauses on regulatory alignment and professional qualifications have seen limited success, resulting in lower trade volumes than originally envisioned.
Experts recommended that Ottawa focus on areas where the EU has clear jurisdiction, such as research and academic exchanges, while negotiating directly with individual countries on issues like defence and energy. Manger proposed allowing European mobile networks to operate in Canada in exchange for relaxed restrictions on Canadian food imports. Hurrelmann emphasized the need for cross-party collaboration to ensure the agreement gains legal force quickly before rising far-right movements in Europe challenge the partnership.
Source: CBC News
