Experts suggest Canada lock in gains with EU amid rise in far-right movements

OTTAWA — Experts in European Union policy say Canada should try solidifying gains with the EU in legal frameworks as right-wing movements gain ground on the continent.

Academics studying EU relations are testifying to the House foreign-affairs committee after a Montreal summit last week which officials praised as a historic partnership.

Carleton University professor Achim Hurrelmann says that recent talk of Canada becoming an EU “associate member” attracts symbolic attention but officials could easily drop that language.

He says Canada should focus on getting wins encoded into European law, and consider restructuring the EU trade deal to increase economic gains.