14/06/24 (Agence Europe) – As part of the work surrounding the signing of the agreement between the EU and Canada on Canada’s participation in EU programmes, on Wednesday 12 June the European Commission sent a statement to the EU Council recalling that, in accordance with the European Treaties, it is the Commission’s prerogative to represent the EU during negotiations to secure the signing of international agreements outside the area of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The Commission would stress that the Court of Justice of the European Union clarified this point in its judgment of 9 April 2024 in case C-551/21. The Commission therefore considers that it is not for the EU Council to lay down provisions on the signing of international agreements outside the area of the CFSP. Link to the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/cnq (EV)