Defense, Tech, Trade: EU and Canada Forge a New Global Power Alliance

24th June 2025

Von der Leyen Unveils Ambitious EU-Canada Alliance: From Defense to Digital Integration.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the results of the 2025 EU–Canada Summit as a major leap forward in transatlantic cooperation, highlighting the new security and defense partnership as a milestone agreement.

This partnership elevates Canada's strategic role in Europe’s defense landscape and opens the door for Ottawa’s participation in SAFE, the EU’s €150 billion joint military procurement initiative.

Von der Leyen emphasized Canada’s critical contributions to NATO, particularly its leadership in Latvia since 2014, and welcomed Canada’s increasing defense commitments amid a worsening global security environment. On Ukraine, she thanked Canada for training 45,000 Ukrainian troops and offering generous support for refugees and reconstruction, urging continued joint efforts to sustain aid and pressure on Russia well into 2026.

The summit also celebrated the success of the EU–Canada free trade agreement (CETA), which has driven a 17% increase in trade since 2017 and €123 billion in volume in 2023 alone. Von der Leyen announced an EU–Canada Industrial Policy Dialogue, aiming to deepen cooperation in critical supply chains, including clean technologies and rare raw materials.

In digital policy, the EU and Canada agreed to start work on a digital trade agreement, deepen research ties in AI and quantum computing, and strengthen standards cooperation. The first EU–Canada Digital Partnership Council will convene later this year to advance these efforts.

Von der Leyen called the summit the beginning of a new chapter in EU–Canada relations, anchored in shared values, economic resilience, and strategic coordination across multiple fronts.
Via: consilium.europa.eu