The EU desperately needs more energy, which Canada can provide. And Canada needs advanced military equipment, which the EU can provide.
With Canada facing the threat of 25% tariffs on our exports to the United States, and with the incoming U.S. Administration escalating its rhetoric towards our country, it is time for Canada to rapidly deepen our partnerships with other democracies.
One such potential partner is the European Union.
The European Union is a massive market, within which goods and individuals can move freely.
With a GDP of roughly $19 trillion, and with 9 candidate countries and one potential candidate country seeking to join, the economic potential of the EU is immense (especially if they ease up a bit on the regulations).
The EU is also made up of many like-minded countries with values that align with Canada.
Most importantly, the EU has what Canada needs, and Canada has what the EU needs.
In particular, the European Union needs energy, and they need energy from democratic nations that won’t hold them hostage.
The EU’s experience with being dependent on energy supplies from fascist Russia has woken many Europeans up to the importance of basing trade on values and economic benefit, rather than ignoring the former for the latter.
Canada – with our abundant energy reserves – can benefit immensely from selling more of that energy to the European Union, and the European Union would benefit immensely from buying more Canadian energy.
Meanwhile, the European Union is filled to the brim with innovative defence companies like BAE Systems (British but with significant ties to EU companies), Airbus, Leonardo S.p.A., Rheinmetall AG, Saab, Dassault, MBDA, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, and Nexter Systems.
These companies produce nearly every piece of military equipment you can think of and are at the highest level when it comes to quality.
They would gladly welcome some huge military contracts from Canada as we seek to rebuild the CAF, and we could deepen defence partnerships between homegrown Canadian defence companies and our European friends.
This would also give us the chance to avoid overreliance on just one nation (the US) for defence contracts. While we should keep purchasing equipment from the U.S. (they make some of the best military equipment in the world and we both benefit from deep economic cooperation), we should also buy more from Europe.
Why not supplement our F-35 order with some Eurofighters?
Why not purchase 500 Leopard 2A8 tanks from Germany while working with Rheinmetall to set up tank factories in Canada?
Why not invest to get Canadian companies involved in the production of artillery, missiles, and military drones in partnership with both European and American firms?
This is simply common sense.
Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper recognized the importance of Canada-EU cooperation when he pushed for the Canada-EU Trade Agreement, noting that “Now we will be playing in the big leagues,” by deepening our trade ties to Europe.
The same is true today.
Canada needs to play in the big leagues militarily, and we need to get there quickly and in such a way that we are purchasing the best equipment possible. Partnering more with the European Union makes that achievable.
This has the added benefit of strengthening the NATO alliance. Most EU countries are in NATO. Thus, if we ramp up military orders from Europe, we strengthen our defence capability, and we help expand the European military industrial base, which also strengthens NATO.
At a time when autocracies are emboldened and the world is more chaotic and uncertain, fellow democracies need to become stronger by working together. It’s time for Canada to recognize this and start building a deeper relationship with the European Union for the benefit of all.
Spencer Fernando
