Ottawa has presented closer European cooperation as merely a means of reducing dependence on the United States.
A leaked Canada-EU draft calls for closer alignment of Canadian energy, financial and technology rules with Brussels, raising concerns about costs to businesses and provincial sovereignty.
The September 21 document says both sides “will align strategies and standards” on issues including LNG exports, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.
UK-based energy analyst Tammy Nemeth warned that adopting European climate and financial rules could raise costs and hurt Canadian competitiveness.
First reported by Politico, the nine-page draft was circulated ahead of the October 29–30 Canada-EU summit in Montreal. It calls for “a deeper and more integrated relationship” on trade, energy, technology and security.
The EU is Canada’s second-largest trading partner. The two already have a trade agreement, CETA, provisionally applied since 2017, and a defence partnership signed in 2025.
