24 November 2005
The European Union and Canada held a video conference today with the Tony Blair (EU Presidency), José Manuel Barroso (European Commission President), Javier Solana (EU High Representative) and the Prime Minister of Canada Paul Martin, participating.
Read the statement in full
They expressed deep satisfaction with the scope and quality of our strategic partnership. We are working together to make multilateralism effective and cooperating closely in the fight against terrorism. In this regard, we welcomed the signing of three major agreements since our last Summit.
- An Agreement Establishing a Framework for the Participation of Canada in EU Crisis Management Operations, signed in Brussels earlier today. We also agreed on enhanced, practical cooperation between the EU and Canada’s Stabilisation and Reconstruction Task Force (START).
- A Co-operation Agreement between the European Police Office (Europol) and Canada, signed on November 21, 2005.
- An Agreement on the Processing of Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API/PNR), signed on October 3, 2005.
Canada and the EU reaffirmed their strong commitment to tackling climate change. At next week’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal, Canada and the EU share the objective of achieving the launch under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change of formal global discussions on future international cooperation and action to address climate change in the post-2012 period . We share similar views on the necessary elements for future international cooperation on climate change. We also agree that prompt formal adoption of the rules for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol is a key objective in Montreal.
We are determined to meet our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, and will continue to implement comprehensive and cost-effective measures as necessary, and to work together to develop new low-carbon technologies. Canada and the EU emphasise the importance of market mechanisms for promoting cost-effective ways by which to reduce emissions, deploying existing and new low carbon technologies, and promoting sustainable development in developing countries. In this context, we highlight the need for the clean development mechanism (CDM) to work more effectively and for the CDM Executive Board to be adequately funded. Additionally, Canada and the EU recognise that emissions trading schemes work most efficiently where they are robust in design and can be linked to create a larger carbon market. We agree to begin technical discussions on the respective designs of the EU emissions trading scheme and the proposed Canadian scheme by February 2006.
On the WTO/Doha Development Agenda (DDA), the EU and Canada agreed to continue to push for a high level of ambition for the end result of this round. This is the only way for the DDA to deliver real economic growth, development and poverty reduction. To this end, we call upon all Parties to ensure that the Hong Kong Ministerial meeting of December generates significant advances to the overall negotiation. We call upon all Parties to contribute to increasing the level of ambition in these negotiations and also to contribute to progress across all negotiating areas including agriculture and enhanced market access for goods and services. This will in turn enable all partners to deliver ambitiously on the Doha Round as a whole, and across all sectors.
The EU and Canada discussed progress on negotiation of an ambitious Trade and Investment Enhancement Agreement (TIEA) which seeks to respond to the expressed interests of our business communities by addressing so called "new generation" trade issues such as regulatory cooperation, trade facilitation, government procurement, services, investment and intellectual property rights. Underlining that the TIEA negotiations and the WTO Doha Round remain two separate but mutually supportive exercises, we agreed that a TIEA worthy of our intentions and aspirations will need to address the substantive concerns of stakeholders on both sides. We agreed to accelerate work during the two negotiating sessions in the first half of 2006.
Measures which facilitate travel are important drivers for the economy. While taking into account border security requirements, the EU and Canada took stock of recent consultations, and agreed to take forward a transparent process of intensified dialogue on establishing visa-exempt travel for citizens of all EU Member States and Canada.
We welcomed the successful conclusion of the Bonn Process and underlined our support for a agreement between Afghanistan and the international community to be launched at the London Conference on Afghanistan in late January 2006. We agreed that an important part of the successful implementation of this agreement is the establishment of new monitoring and coordination mechanisms that recognize the leadership of the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) and the centrality of the UN role. We underlined our support for the identification of security, governance and development as main themes in the agreement, and the importance of addressing the cross-cutting nature of counter-narcotics. We support the efforts of the GoA to deliver the Afghan National Drugs Control Strategy in order to secure a sustainable decrease in poppy cultivation and drug trafficking. We also emphasised the need for continued military engagement in Afghanistan until such time as the GoA is able to provide for its own security and stability.
We reiterated the importance of long-term international engagement to support the establishment of democratic governance in Haiti. Canada and the EU will maintain our support for the election process, including through mounting of election monitoring missions.
The EU and Canada underlined the need for early and full implementation of the reforms agreed at the UN World Summit, and we expressed our support for the plans of the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Jan Eliasson, in particular the commitment to establish a new Peacebuilding Commission and a Human Rights Council, as well as wide-ranging management reforms. We pledged to continue working together on WMD non-proliferation, disarmament and arms control multilaterally. We also welcomed the important agreement on the "Responsibility to Protect". We look forward to seeing these principles reflected in future decisions of the UN Security Council, and agreed to work together to ensure that the Responsibility to Protect is implemented by the international community. We welcomed the commitments made at the September UN World Summit, on accelerating progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals, in particular the recognition of the special needs of Africa. The EU will be revising its Development Policy Statement and releasing a new Africa strategy in December.
We recognise the central importance of peace, security and stability as prerequisites for development, particularly in Africa. Canada and the EU welcomed the formation of the Government of National Unity in Sudan as a significant and historic step towards peace in that country. We underlined our support for the crucial process of implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan, which will pave the way for a democratic and inclusive system of governance throughout Sudan. We see the end of continuing violence and suffering in Darfur as an immediate priority.
Already there are thousands of refugees in Darfur who are safer thanks to financing from the EU Peace Facility and Canada’s financial and logistical support to the African Union’s (AU), mission there. We will continue to work together to assist the AU, African countries and sub-regional organisations to prevent and resolve conflict including through developing an effective African Standby Force. We noted progress in the Great Lakes region, including the International Conference, and the need to complete the transition in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the holding of successful elections. We also discussed continuing EU-Canada collaboration on issues related to the security sector in the DRC, such as the EU Police Mission in the DRC (EUPOL KINSHASA).
The EU and Canada agreed to continue close co-operation on the Middle East Peace Process, and stress again the importance we attach to both Parties implementing their Roadmap commitments post-disengagement from the Gaza Strip. We support the work of the Quartet’s Special Envoy for Disengagement James Wolfensohn. Canada has welcomed the EU’s invitation to join the new EU Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS). The Canadian and EU election observer missions to the Palestinian Legislative Elections in January will coordinate their efforts to encourage free and fair Palestinian Legislative elections.
The EU and Canada expressed their concern about Iran’s policies in a number of areas, including its nuclear programme, respect for human rights, and approach towards terrorism and regional issues. We welcome the adoption on 24 September by the IAEA of a Resolution finding Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations and on 18 November by the UNGA Third Committee of a Resolution on human rights in Iran.
In the face of the threat from Avian Influenza and possible pandemic influenza, the EU and Canada will work together closely in support of the multilateral organisations (FAO, OiE, and WHO). We support the outcomes of the meeting in Geneva organised by the WHO earlier this month as well as those coming out of other international initiatives, including the Ottawa Ministerial on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness.
The EU and Canada welcomed the recent adoption of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at UNESCO and agree to promote ratification and implementation.
Released in London, Brussels, Kelowna and Ottawa 24 November 2005.
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