Europese Unie en Canada willen strategisch partnerschap verder uitbreiden (en)

We, the leaders of the European Union (EU) and Canada, meeting today in Prague, wish to strengthen and deepen our strategic partnership that builds on our shared values. Our priority areas remain: a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, climate change and the environment, energy security and sustainability, as well as international peace and security.

We reiterate our objective to enhance the free and secure movement of people between the EU and Canada, with a view to extending as soon as possible visa-free travel to Canada for all EU citizens.

The EU and Canada agree on the following common understandings and actions to be taken forward in the coming period:

Economic Partnership

Since our last Summit in Quebec City, our efforts to tackle severe global financial and economic problems have moved even further to the forefront of our agendas.

To combat the financial and economic crisis, we recognize the importance of repairing the international financial system and restoring flows of credit and capital; we have devised bold stimulus packages to boost demand, which we will implement in a coordinated, expedited and effective manner; we have agreed to strengthen financial market regulation through sound domestic regulation complemented by international monitoring, principles and oversight; and we will strengthen trade and investment flows and refrain from protectionism. In this respect, we will fulfil our national and collective commitments, as agreed to at the G20 i Washington and London Summits, to help build a more stable global financial system and to speed global economic recovery.

Today, we are pleased to announce the launch of negotiations towards a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. We welcome the completion of the work initiated at our last summit in Quebec to define together the scope of an agreement and to establish the critical points for its successful conclusion. As outlined in the Joint Report on the EU-Canada Scoping Exercise, released in March 2009, such an agreement will provide for, inter alia, liberalisation of trade in goods and services between the EU and Canada, enhanced market access, investment provisions and improved rules on trade-related issues. This ambitious agreement is expected to yield significant benefits for the economies of both Canada and the EU. By launching negotiations, we are sending a clear signal that the EU and Canada reject protectionism in this time of economic and financial crisis. Moreover, we recall our commitment to reaching an ambitious, comprehensive and balanced conclusion to the Doha Development Round and note that a comprehensive economic partnership agreement will complement the multilateral trade negotiations currently underway at the WTO.

Negotiations on a comprehensive air transport agreement between the EU and Canada were concluded in November 2008 and we are pleased to mark this agreement today.

Furthermore, we are pleased to be signing an air safety agreement today, which will stimulate aeronautical industrial activity, cut costs, and alleviate the administrative burden in air transport.

Energy, Climate Change and the Environment

We will continue our cooperation in the context of our High-Level Dialogue on Energy, particularly in key areas such as increased energy efficiency, renewable energy, improved market transparency and stability, and the implementation of cleaner energy technology. We believe research, development and demonstration are the activities most suited for our energy cooperation within, for example, our existing Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement; we identify Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), bioenergy, and distributed generation and smart electricity networks as the main priority areas for collaboration.

We seek to move forward the process - begun at the last Summit - to review the Euratom-Canada cooperation agreement regarding peaceful uses of atomic energy.

We will work together in the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) to develop a shared and strategic view in promoting energy efficiency internationally.

The EU and Canada are committed to building a low-carbon global economy that is safe and sustainable while strengthening capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change. In this regard, we reaffirm our determination to collaborate closely to ensure that an ambitious and comprehensive global climate agreement is reached in Copenhagen in December 2009, which places us on the pathway to achieving at least a 50 per cent reduction in global greenhouse gases by 2050, consistent with the conclusions of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and which provides for regular review in the light of new scientific evidence. This ambitious and comprehensive agreement should cover the vast majority of global greenhouse gas emissions, and include all major emitters, taking into account mitigation potential and national circumstances.

The EU and Canada believe that developed countries should commit to comparable, economy-wide mid-term emission reduction goals by 2020, while developing countries, with the exception of the least-developed, should commit to mitigation actions that lead to a substantial and quantifiable deviation from current emissions growth rates by 2020, based on their mitigation potential and national circumstances. In this respect, we welcome the national climate change strategies and plans put in place by a number of developing countries and call for further action in the lead-up to Copenhagen.

We agree that adequate, predictable and timely financial support for implementation of a Copenhagen agreement will be crucial. The EU and Canada will take on their fair share in the framework of an overall agreement and are ready to look into options for generating the necessary funds.

We support the development of the international carbon market. An effective carbon market is essential for achieving emissions reductions at the lowest cost and for encouraging investment in safe and sustainable low-carbon technologies. We will reinforce our technical cooperation to work towards compatible, linked cap and trade systems between Europe and North America.

We recognise that the international aviation and maritime transport sectors are large and growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. We emphasise the need for the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the International Maritime Organisation to rapidly advance work on emissions reductions in those sectors, including in view of the anticipated Copenhagen agreement.

The EU and Canada recall that tropical deforestation and forest degradation mostly in the tropics are responsible for between 15-20 per cent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. We agree that a Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) mechanism has the potential to be an important element in a future global agreement on climate change to assist developing countries in reducing deforestation and halting global forest cover loss.

We also agree that the development of a post-2010 policy framework for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity under the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) requires active engagement, and we welcome the UN International Year of Biodiversity and the UN General Assembly high-level meeting on biodiversity.

We also underline the importance of continuing our fruitful discussions on other environmental topics in the EU-Canada High-Level Dialogue on the Environment.

We also recognise the challenges and opportunities faced in the Arctic and the North, which include protecting the environment and ensuring that Northerners benefit directly from economic and social development in the region now and in future generations. The EU and Canada agree to maintain a bilateral dialogue and cooperate on Arctic issues, with a focus on research and the concerns and interests of Arctic peoples and communities.

Peace and Security

We reaffirm our determination to ensure that multilateral institutions, in particular the United Nations, are the main fora for international cooperation on peace and security, human rights and democracy. We are committed to a rules-based international order and to strengthening international law.

We are determined to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, which continue to represent one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. We will work jointly towards achieving the universalisation of multilateral non-proliferation and disarmament treaties, regimes and other arrangements, including the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and Chemical Weapons Convention, and the strengthening of export control regimes. We underline the central role of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and are committed to achieve a successful outcome of its Review Conference in 2010. We are encouraged by the US and Russia's renewed commitments to reduce nuclear arsenals, to ensure the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and to support international negotiations for a verifiable Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty. The EU and Canada will actively contribute to these efforts. We underline the importance of full and unconditional application of UN Security Council Resolutions and of strengthening UN specialized agencies dealing with disarmament and non-proliferation issues.

We reiterate our full support and respect for the International Criminal Court and its key role in ensuring accountability for the most serious international crimes.

On Afghanistan, we underline our common aim to ensure security and stability in the wider region. To this end, consistent with the 31st March Hague International Conference on Afghanistan, we will work together to support capacity-building of all levels of government in Afghanistan and the upcoming elections, and we will encourage Afghan-led reconciliation efforts and dialogue with regional partners, particularly Pakistan. We will also work together to promote human rights and we urge the Afghan government to honour its human rights treaty obligations under international law, including respect for equality of women before the law. We value our on-going cooperation in EUPOL and seek to intensify EU-Canada collaboration on the ground, we strongly support the UN-mandated mission in country, and we remain committed to the people of Afghanistan.

We reaffirm our commitment to support the democratic government of Pakistan, which we encourage to undertake important reforms aimed at improving the current political and security situation. In particular, we are concerned about recent developments in certain parts of North West Frontier Province, and urge the Pakistani government to take decisive action to ensure that human rights are fully respected and the security situation does not deteriorate further. We welcome the outcome of the 17 April Tokyo conference, which generated pledges in excess of US $ 5 billion in development assistance.

On the Middle East Peace Process, we urge the parties to resume the bilateral negotiations in order to move forward the Peace Process towards a two-state solution. We also urge consideration to be given to the Arab Peace Initiative, which offers a solid and appropriate basis for progress towards achieving comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

Both the EU and Canada remain deeply concerned about the Iranian nuclear issue and Iran's failure to comply with its international obligations. We are committed to a diplomatic solution based on the dual-track approach.

We reaffirm our commitment to work together in the context of the European Security and Defence Policy, both in civilian and military crisis management. We already work in tandem to strengthen police forces in Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Palestinian territories. Together, we are building capacity in the areas of conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and crisis management in Africa, notably our cooperation on the African Union Exercise AMANI AFRICA as well as support to peace operations training centres in Africa. We will look to build on cooperation across these and other areas. In the context of civil protection, we also underline the importance of continuing to support disaster risk reduction initiatives.

Support to transparent, democratic elections is an area of common interest to the EU and Canada. We look forward to further cooperation in this field, including, where appropriate, in the context of EU Election Observation Missions.

Given the unique opportunities that the Eastern Partnership opens for cooperation with third countries, the EU looks forward to discussing further possible cooperation with Canada. The EU stands ready to explore possible cooperation with Canada on other regional initiatives.

We will continue our dialogue on how to operationalise the responsibility to protect, both bilaterally and within a wider UN context.

Cooperation on Science and Research, Health, and Education

In the area of Science and Research, we aim to develop specific initiatives in priority areas such as Energy and Environment research, closely liaising with the existing High Level Dialogues on these topics. The EU and Canada will strive to establish a matching funding mechanism for participants in the EU Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technology Development.

Summit leaders have identified a new area of research and policy cooperation – health– focused on the prevention of, and innovative strategies for, neurodegenerative diseases; improved information exchange on tobacco regulatory issues; and enhanced cooperation on health promotion in young people.

We agree to support and deepen our co-operation in higher education, training, youth and culture by further disseminating policy research results and promoting collaboration with relevant governments and stakeholders.

 EU-CANADA SUMMIT JOINT DECLARATION ON THE AGREEMENT ON AIR TRANSPORT

Today, we mark the Agreement on Air Transport between Canada and the European Community and its Member States initialled on 30 November 2008 in London. This far-reaching agreement will begin a new era of transatlantic relations, improving connections between our respective markets and citizens, as well as creating new opportunities in the airline sector. We emphasize that the removal of barriers between the EU and Canada is of particular significance in the current economic environment. For the first time, direct flights between all points in the European Union and Canada will be possible. The airline industry will benefit from simplified approval procedures and passengers will have more choices and better services.

The formal signature of the Agreement will take place as soon as possible following the authentication of all language versions and the finalisation of the relevant internal decision-making procedures.

DECLARATION REGARDING A COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND CANADA

The European Union and Canada confirm that delegations representing the European Union and Canada have defined the scope of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, as outlined in the Joint Report on the EU-Canada Scoping Exercise, and obtained mandates necessary to launch negotiations.

Accordingly, the European Union and Canada are pleased to confirm a launch of negotiations with the intention to conclude an ambitious comprehensive economic partnership agreement within two years.

Signed at Prague this 6th day of May 2009