EU-Canada sign Strategic Partnership Agreement

The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, have welcomed the signing of an Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) between the EU and Canada.

The EU leaders issued a joint statement following their meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague in the Netherlands.

Barroso and Van Rompuy said: “Today we concluded politically, together with Prime Minister Harper, the negotiations for an SPA. With the agreement, the EU and Canada have taken a crucial step forward in strengthening our strategic relations. Both sides are now committed to finalising the remaining technical and legal work expeditiously, so that it can be formally concluded as soon as possible.”

The SPA aims to contribute to the deepening of ties in all fields of co-operation, including education, science and technology, transport, energy and the Arctic.