December 19, 2000
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that Canada and the European Union (EU) have committed to initiatives in the sectors of Higher Education and Training, Justice and Home Affairs, Defence and Security Issues, Development Assistance and Satellite Navigation Technology. The announcement followed the Canada-EU Summit held today in Ottawa between the Prime Minister, the President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac, representing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi.

"These initiatives will further strengthen our cooperation with the European Union in key social, economic and other policy sectors," said the Prime Minister. "The EU is one of the strongest political and economic partnerships in the developed world and Canada can only benefit from our mutual cooperation."

Following the meetings in Ottawa, the leaders agreed to the following initiatives:

A Joint Statement on Justice and Home Affairs Cooperation, in which Canada and the EU recognize that transnational organised crime -- in all its various forms -- threatens the security of their citizens and democracy. They commit to increasing their cooperation to fight illicit drug trafficking, high-technology crime, corruption, terrorism, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

The Canada-EU Joint Statement on Defence and Security establishes an enhanced bilateral dialogue on issues of European security and defence, as an expression of the continued commitment to ensuring the peace and security of the Euro-Atlantic area.

A Joint Statement on Development Assistance Cooperation, identifies issues related to health, aid effectiveness and technical assistance to developing countries in areas where Canada and the EU will work together.

A Joint Statement on Cooperation in Satellite Navigation - Galileo, in which Canada and the EU agree to explore, in early 2001, the scope of an agreement that would define future cooperation in satellite navigation.

Canada-EU Summits are held twice yearly, in addition to regularly scheduled meetings at the ministerial and senior official levels. France's Presidency of the Council of the European Union ends on December 31, 2000. Sweden takes over the presidency for the next six months.

Year 2001 marks the 25^th anniversary of formal Canada-EU cooperation under a framework agreement signed in 1976. Several events will be organized in the coming year to celebrate Canada-EU cooperation of the past 25 years.

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PMO Press Office : (613) 957-5555

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The Agreement renews a Cooperation Program in Higher Education and Training launched in 1995. Canada and the EU contribute seed funding to joint academic projects among institutions of higher education, training establishments and other organizations on both sides of the Atlantic. The Program aims to increase transatlantic student mobility, institutional partnerships, and an exchange of knowledge and expertise in higher education and training. It also encourages the use of new learning technologies to maximize student participation. About one thousand Canadian students have participated or are currently participating in 31 projects involving 42 Canadian universities and colleges.

Canada and the European Union recognize that transnational organised crime -- in all its various forms -- threatens the security of their citizens and democracy. They further recognize that the borderless nature of organised crime calls for strengthened world action against crime. This joint statement is an expression of a shared vision and commitment to collaborate bilaterally and in international fora to strengthen their capacity to respond to these international threats.

Building upon their growing cooperation in the justice and home affairs sector, Canada and the European Union will intensify their dialogue and experts-level contacts, pursue opportunities for joint cooperation, exchange experiences, best practices and officials, and undertake joint practical activities in areas such as the fight against illicit drug trafficking, high-tech crime, corruption, terrorism, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

Canada and the European Union share common values and interest in Euro-Atlantic security. The decisions taken at the European Council meeting in Nice in effect strengthened the European pillar of the Alliance by creating an operational capacity for the EU to lead crisis operations, in those situations where NATO as a whole is not engaged.

With this statement, Canada and the EU agree to develop, as required, the modalities for possible Canadian participation in future EU-led crisis management operations, where NATO as a whole has decided not to intervene. Canada and the EU will deepen their dialogue on security and defence issues through quarterly bilateral meetings between experts, and intensify their dialogue in times of crisis. Canada and the EU reaffirm that NATO remains the foundation of its member’s collective defence and will continue to play an essential role in crisis management.

Canada and the EU share a profound interest in addressing the pressing needs of developing countries and contributing to the reduction of poverty

The Joint Statement on Development Assistance Cooperation identifies five areas where Canada and the EU have agreed to cooperate. These include health-related issues such as the fight against infectious diseases and support for an international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Canada and the EU will also join efforts to improve aid effectiveness and to assist developing countries to participate more fully in the global economy by supporting the establishment of an international trust fund for trade-related technical assistance. Canada and the EU will continue to explore other areas of cooperation which will contribute to their common objective to alleviate poverty in developing countries.

This statement by Canada and the European Union opens the door to further Canadian participation in GALILEO, the European global satellite navigation program. Satellite navigation is a key technology which makes it possible to pinpoint a person’s geographic position on land, sea or air. It offers numerous advantages in a multitude of areas such as transport (greater safety, reduced congestion and environmental damage, etc.), medicine (remote treatment of patients, etc.) and agriculture (grain dose adjustments depending on the terrain, etc.).

Canada recently provided funding and expertise in the definition phase of GALILEO. This programme is led by the European Union, with a substantial contribution for the space segment from the European Space Agency (ESA). For more than twenty years Canada, through the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the ESA have worked closely together on the basis of successive cooperation agreements. In June 2000, the agreement was renewed for a further 10 years during a signing ceremony held in the presence of Prime Minister Chrétien.