Today the European Parliament made further steps to improve its transatlantic cooperation on foreign and security issues as well as trade and economics.

Today the European Parliament made further steps to improve its transatlantic cooperation on foreign and security issues as well as trade and economics.

Parliamentarians in the foreign affairs committee gave their consent to the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Canada, which was signed last October at the 16th EU-Canada Summit.

ECR rapporteur for the proposal, British MEP Charles Tannock, says the agreement will strengthen the transatlantic alliance between the EU and Canada:

“Canada enjoys a very close relationship with the EU, cooperating in a number of areas across a range of initiatives. The Strategic Partnership Agreement renews those commitments and comes at a time when the EU and Canada are reaching the final stages of a very ambitious free trade agreement. We must of course remember that the benefits of both agreements will be lost to Britain when it leaves the European Union and I hope that the UK Government will be able to secure similar arrangements as soon as possible.”

The agreement deepens the political ties between the EU and Canada and enshrine cooperation in the areas of justice, freedom and security as well as economic development.

It sits alongside with the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which the foreign affairs committee gave its consent to in November last year.

A vote formally ratifying the two agreements will take place in the European Parliament next month