How Relevant Are Continued Ties with Canada?

This chapter spells out how the relationship between Canada and the European Union (EU) contributes to the EU’s goals of sustaining a rule-governed world, reducing external dependence, and stemming off the influence of autocracies (e.g. Russia and China). It reviews the nature and strength of EU–Canada relations, the scope of EU–Canada goal convergence, and what Canada might contribute towards reducing EU dependence on autocracies. The chapter assesses options for Europeans to strengthen ties, taking a geopolitical perspective, so as to consider constraints (and opportunities) of geography, including the geographical distance between Europe and Canada, and both entities’ strong ties with the United States (US).