Canada-EU summit in Montreal to wrap up with digital trade and academic exchange announcements

Prime Minister Mark Carney hosted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa at the Canada-EU summit in Montreal on Thursday. The meeting, which has been held annually, focused on expanding commercial and diplomatic ties between the two partners.

Costa said an agreement on digital trade is expected to be finalized on Friday and that the summit will also announce new programs for scientific research partnerships and university student exchanges. He added that greater labour mobility, including in the film sector, is a priority.

Culture Minister Marc Miller noted that any labour-mobility discussions for industries such as film must involve provincial governments because of existing tax-credit schemes. He said talks are under way to align regulations that promote Canadian content on European streaming platforms and vice-versa, while also protecting children online.

"Two issues that are really important, and we’re not talking about the same exact rules potentially, but convergence and allyship with respect to large transnational companies that in some cases need to be regulated to protect kids or to promote our cultures," Miller said in an interview.

Miller highlighted existing co-production treaties with several European countries that enable joint tax-credit pooling for film and television projects, citing the Canadian-Irish series "Vikings" as an example. He also mentioned efforts to secure a European theatrical release for the documentary "Villeneuve: The Rise of a Legend," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Carney, von der Leyen and Costa expressed interest in Canada becoming an “associate member” of the European Union, a term that has faced opposition from some EU members and Canadian officials. Conservative politicians pointed out that nine of the 28 EU states have not yet ratified a longstanding trade agreement with Canada.