Brussels, 31/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - Ottawa wants enhanced economic partnership with the EU based on a reduction of non-tariff trade barriers and regulatory convergence (see EUROPE 9430) and is expected to get it: at the EU-Canada Summit in Berlin on 4 June, German Chancellor and European Council President Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper are expected to give their approval to the launch of a joint study to decide whether or not it would be appropriate to have closer economic integration between the EU and Canada.
Economic partnership. European and Canadian leaders will, of course, reiterate their commitment to the conclusion of the Doha multilateral negotiations, and will state their aim of reaching a balanced agreement which will “further agricultural reform worldwide”. Above all, they will stress their desire to enhance economic integration, on the basis of the bilateral talks on the Trade and Investment Enhancement Agreement (TIEA) - begun in 2004 (see EUROPE 8670, 8853 and 8949), but suspended for over a year - and facilitate trade and investment flows between the EU and Canada. To this end, Europeans and Canadians are expected to agree to the launch of a joint study “to examine and assess the costs and benefits of a closer economic partnership”, identifying existing barriers, including non-tariff, to the flow of goods, services and capital. The study will also identify how to complement ongoing efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas such as science and technology, energy and the environment. Both sides are likely to agree to intensify work on regulatory cooperation. To this end, they are expected to confirm their commitment to fully implement the existing Framework for Regulatory Cooperation and Transparency by endorsing the roadmap of sectoral initiatives. They will also state their commitment to concluding a regulatory cooperation agreement, addressed under the TIEA. Finally, both sides will give the green light to the opening of negotiations on a bilateral agreement on air services.
Energy and climate. European and Canadian leaders are expected to restate their commitment to combating global warming. At the time of going to press, the draft text of the joint declaration demonstrated a point of difference (which will probably be resolved in Berlin) on each side's commitment, informed by the IPCC conclusions, to urgent global action in order to, for the European side, “contribute our fair share to the stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations” and, for the Canadian side, “to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations”, which will require global greenhouse gas emissions to be halved by 2050 (the Europeans want reference to be made to 1990 levels). The sides will also highlight their commitment to working with other nations to launch negotiations for an international post-Kyoto agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali in December. Finally, both sides are likely to agree to set up an energy dialogue, to strengthen the dialogue on the environment and to continue their cooperation on promoting clean energy technology.
Bilateral relations and international issues. The EU expects “rapid and concrete” progress on a visa exemption scheme for all EU citizens wishing to travel to Canada, but the final formulation of such an agreement has still to be decided. Canada will undertake to set out the criteria for visa exemption very shortly. The final text will, nevertheless, stress that both partners wish to cooperate in a series of other areas and on the major international issues (combating terrorism, non-proliferation, the Balkans, the Middle East, Darfur, Afghanistan, etc.). They would like to act in concert on the Arctic zone as part of the new Northern Dimension and the International Polar Year (2007-2008). They also want to improve cooperation in civilian and military crisis management and election observation operations. In their declaration, the EU and Canada confirm their commitment to strengthening the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon, to continuing to support the African Union mission to Sudan (AMIS), to which they will contribute financially until a UN/African Union hybrid is dispatched. As part of their aid to the Afghan government, Canada will again contribute personnel to the EU's police operation in Afghanistan (EUPOL). (eh)