That elusive object of desire: Canadian perceptions of the European Union

Article is part of a special issue ‘Beyond self-perception: the others’ view of the European Union’.

Abstract:

The paper first gives an historical review of the evolution of the relationship between Canada and the EU. It then looks at Canadian governmental perceptions of the EU through an analysis of parliamentary debates, reports of House of Commons and Senate committees, official papers released by the ministries of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the election platforms of five federal political parties. Finally, it examines the perceptions of the non-governmental sector, which includes an analysis of the content of three newspapers, commercial and academic public opinion polls as well as documents and press releases from Canada’s principal business and labour organizations, and the research archives of non-partisan think tanks. The picture that emerges from this review is that, in Canadian eyes, the EU is primarily an important international economic actor with large and attractive markets of which Canadian companies have yet to take full advantage. In the absence of a transatlantic free trade deal, however, it is likely that Canada, while continuing to solidify its relationship with the USA, will begin looking with more interest to Asia.