EU CANADA! What joining Europe's elite club means for your wallet, passport
· Toronto Sun
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OTTAWA — Could Canada be eyeing a historic leap across the pond?
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As chatter builds over Canada becoming the European Union’s (EU) first “associate member,” many questions are being raised about what this would mean for Canadian jobs, immigration, sovereignty and identity.
While full EU membership isn’t available for non-European nations like Canada, creating this unique “associate status” would forge unprecedented ties between Ottawa and Europe.
Driven by global uncertainty and aggression from nations like China and Russia — coupled with closer-to-home concerns over increasingly unstable and erratic American leadership — the proposed alignment is meant, at least on the surface, to deepen ties in defence, green energy and technology without requiring Canada to redraw its borders or force Canadians to exchange their loonies for Euros.
So why now?
As American President Donald Trump’s trade war against this country continues, Canada has been looking to diversify its trade relationships.
Despite aggression from the Trump White House, the United States remains Canada’s largest trading partner — accounting for nearly two-thirds of all Canadian exports and nearly 60% of its imports.
Goods trade with the U.S. makes up over 56% of Canada’s total international trade, leaving our economy — already dealing with skyrocketing inflation and a dual housing and cost-of-living crisis- heavily exposed to political decisions from Washington.
At the same time, EU leadership is looking to strengthen their supply chains, defence posture and energy security with reliable, stable democratic allies — a job to which Canada fits the bill.
What about Canadian sovereignty?
While Canada would be the EU’s first “associate member,” we would retain our own government, laws, borders, border controls and currency.
That being said, participating in the EU would require a number of policy changes to align with the union’s existing policies, including forcing our industries to comply with strict environmental and industrial rules without having a vote in the matter.
Canadian exporters, especially heavy industry, agriculture and forestry, would have to contend with such policies as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), meant to adjust the price of imports based on “embedded” carbon emissions.
As well, Canada would also have to comply with the EU’s Regulations on Deforestation-Free Products , which sets out strict rules for cattle, soy and lumber, as well as derived products.
This would require Canada to perform a complete overhaul of current carbon-pricing frameworks to ensure compliance, and eliminate existing carbon tax exemptions and output-based rebates for large-scale emitters.
How would this impact life for Canadians?
Canadians would still be Canadian citizens, hold Canadian passports and use Canadian money.
Don’t expect to be forced to trade in your dollars for Euros.
Travel to the EU would largely remain unchanged, as Canadian citizens are already entitled to visit the Schengen Area — a zone of 28 European nations that have abolished passport and entry control at their mutual borders — for up to 90 days within a 180-day time period.
A key component, currently being explored as details of this proposed alliance are hammered out, could be long-term live-and-work rights.
If finalized, it would allow Canadian passport holders visa-free employment across EU nations, fast-tracked professional transfers and streamlined residency pathways.
Associate EU membership, however, would likely not result in a European-style migration crisis, largely due to geographic distances and preservation of Canadian control over our borders.
Businesses would instantly gain access to a new consumer market spanning nearly half a billion people — not to mention greater opportunities for collaboration and partnership between Canadian and European businesses.
Canada’s defence, high-tech and critical minerals industries would be among the biggest beneficiaries of closer ties to the EU.
What are the biggest hurdles?
As stated, the EU currently has no such thing as “associate membership,” so integrating Canada into the EU would have to happen from the bottom-up.
Creating, and then approving, this special status would require unanimous consent from all 28 EU member states — some of which have expressed concern over backlash from the Trump White House.
On Wednesday, Trump threatened the EU with a new round of tariffs if the alliance went forward, describing Canada gaining associate membership in the EU as a “hostile act.”
As well, joining the EU would require careful footwork around existing trade pacts such as CUSMA.
Carney’s moves to align Canada with Europe
Since becoming prime minister, Carney — who previously served as governor of the Bank of England — has made numerous moves to shift Canada closer to Europe, including this country becoming the first non-European member of the $173-billion SAFE defence program, as well as pursuing a broad “middle power” alliance with the EU.
As well, Carney used Canada Day as the forum to announce that Canada would join the Eurovision Song Contest — a move that closely followed CBC/Radio-Canada’s full membership in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).