Canada welcomes European Commissioner of Trade

Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade
Photo: Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade

Canadians and Europeans have ties going back centuries, and Canada and the European Union enjoy a strong and strategic relationship. Canada shares many common values with the EU, and we work together in a number of areas, including trade that supports middle class jobs, security, agriculture and education.

The recent signings of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) represent major milestones in this partnership; these agreements reflect our common values and shared high standards in areas such as workers’ rights and environmental protection.

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade, and the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, will make her official visit to Toronto and Ottawa, from March 19 to 21, 2017.

On Monday, March 20, Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Canada’s Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, will join Commissioner Malmström in the Greater Toronto Area, where the Commissioner will deliver a keynote address at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, participate in meetings with Canadian and EU business leaders, and visit businesses that stand to benefit from CETA implementation.

On Tuesday, March 21, Minister Champagne will meet with Commissioner Malmström to discuss their common and progressive agenda with respect to trade and economic growth and how to ensure businesses on both sides of the Atlantic are able to take advantage of the provisional application of CETA, the most ambitious and progressive trade agreement Canada and the EU have ever reached. Minister Freeland will also meet with the Commissioner to discuss bilateral ties and opportunities for the Canada-EU relationship. The Commissioner’s meetings will be followed by a luncheon to celebrate the recent, and historic, approval of CETA by the European Parliament.

Quotes

“Commissioner Malmström has shown great leadership for the European Union in her support for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, and we are happy to welcome her here in Canada. Companies from all regions, and of all sizes, will benefit from CETA. As the world’s most progressive trade agreement, it will open trade and investment and create jobs and prosperity for all Canadians and Europeans.”

– François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade

“With the recent European Parliament vote in favour of CETA, Canada and Europe have sent a powerful message that, together, we can create real opportunities for middle class families on both sides of the Atlantic. I am thrilled that we will be welcoming my friend Cecilia Malmström to Canada, and I know Canada and the European Union will continue to promote our many common values and interests.”

– Hon. Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs

Quick Facts

  • CETA is the most progressive trade agreement ever negotiated by either Canada or the EU. It sets a new global standard for free trade agreements that work for the middle class.
  • The agreement will reinforce the strong links between Canada and the EU, and create vast new opportunities for Canadians and Europeans alike—creating jobs, opening new markets for our exporters, offering consumers more choices and forging stronger ties between our economies.
  • Canada is working with EU partners to implement CETA this year so that businesses and individuals can benefit from this agreement as soon as possible.
  •  The SPA will deepen and broaden the scope of our bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues, such as international peace and security, counterterrorism, human rights, nuclear non-proliferation, clean energy and climate change, migration and peaceful pluralism, sustainable development and innovation.
  • Canada and the European Union signed the SPA on October 30, 2016, and it will be provisionally applied from April 1, 2017.

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