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Photo by Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty ImagesEuropean Union officials see the potential to pursue a closer relationship with Canada than with the United Kingdom, as Ottawa doesn’t have the Brexit baggage London carries.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe EU and Canada are working toward a new, all-encompassing relationship that will range from trade to security, creating a transatlantic alliance to offset political heavyweights like the United States and China.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU’s top executive, is expected to announce the plans at her state of the union address in Strasbourg, France, on Sept. 16, according to people familiar with the preparations. Prime Minister Mark Carney will attend the speech and address European lawmakers the following day.Breaking business news, incisive views, must-reads and market signals. Weekdays by 9 a.m.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Posthaste will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe bloc’s executive arm is trying to think creatively about its Canada ties, searching for ways to go beyond a typical partnership, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.Ideologically, Canada is the closest non-European nation to the EU, one of the people said. The person noted that Canada was successfully implementing a so-called sovereignty agenda on economic and defence matters — a campaign that could inform the EU’s own push to cut foreign dependencies.Carney’s government has made a deeper EU partnership a top priority and is actively looking at everything short of actual membership, said a Canadian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The discussions are particularly focused on “strategic capabilities,” such as cooperation on defence, space exploration and scientific research.It’s not clear whether new legal tools would be needed to formalize the partnership, but those discussions are ongoing and Carney’s government will be consulting with Canadian provinces and industries, the official said.In a remarkable speech at the World Economic Forum earlier this year, Carney warned that the “rules-based international order” was effectively dead and called on so-called middle powers to create a new global architecture to oppose pressure tactics and intimidation by the world’s great powers. He didn’t mention U.S. President Donald Trump by name, but called on new alliances to be the last line of defence against countries that impose their economic and military might at will.A spokesperson from Carney’s office declined to comment for this story. The contents of von der Leyen’s speech next week are still being drafted and could change before then.“We’ll need to wait for SOTEU to know more,” chief commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said in a statement.The arrangements will aim to cover all areas of the relationship, including trade, security, supply chains and critical raw materials, according to the people. The U.S. and Canada have recently traded tit-for-tat tariffs, while Trump has repeatedly lambasted the EU’s trade policies and continues to signal interest in absorbing Greenland.Short of EU membership, the EU and Canada want to get as close as legally possible, one of the people said. The two sides have also discussed working together through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multi-country trade agreement of which Canada is a member. Canada is also a member of the British Commonwealth and its head of state is King Charles III.A senior EU government official said the bloc’s engagement with Canada is similar to outreach efforts toward South America and India, although Ottawa is responding with more ambitious suggestions. Security or defence are natural areas for closer ties, the official added.Along those lines, Canada became the first country outside of the EU to join the EU’s 150 billion euro (US$174 billion) military procurement fund last year.The EU and Canada, of course, already have a security and defence partnership and a robust trade agreement. But they’ve been exploring ways to deepen those ties, searching for a balance between granting Canada greater market access and the extra obligations that entails.Diplomats cautioned that the EU and Canada risk running into the misunderstandings that plagued Brexit negotiations, when the two fought over how to link markets absent EU membership. Another person noted, however, that many Brexit obstacles came from countries like France, rather than London.The EU and Canada are scheduled to hold a summit in Canada in October.With assistance from Jorge Valero and Samy Adghirni Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.