• Caveman@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      8 hours ago

      It’s a nice idea but the EU needs to do a treaty reform to do that. There’ll also be a major issue with integrating since Canada is a part of NAFTA and will have to potentially produce labels and hold standards of both. There are probably some regulations that contradict each other somewhere.

  • Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    26
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    Being a member of the European Economic Area is a more realistic goal and would probably solve Canada’s problems derived from being far too Economically entwinned with their next door neighbour.

    Mind you, any form of being part of the EU Single Market (which EEA members are without being EU members) requires a ton of uniformization of things like Product regulations (which amongst other things means Canada would not be allowed to import many if not most US food products such as for example beef of cattle which has been fed hormones) and acceptance of Freedom Of Movement for both people and goods.

    (Following Brexit, Britain did not move to become an EEA member exactly because of both the Freedom of Movement requirement and the difficulty in getting other EEA member approval since the UK are a disproportionatelly large economy compared to all EEA members but Canada’s reasons are different - not anti-immigration and xenophobia like the UK - so things like Freedom Of Movement would probably not be an issue and its Economy is just a bit over half the size of the UK’s)

  • engene@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    20 hours ago

    I’m all for closer ties with the EU but it doesn’t make sense to join the union due to simple geography.

    • Caveman@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      8 hours ago

      It’s not that far, it looks further on the map due to the map projection. A flight takes 6-7 hours from Ottowa to the UK and with the opening of the Bearing Strait sea lane it’ll become feasible to ship non-perishable goods from Canada to EU and back from both sides of the Canada.

    • barsoap@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      9 hours ago

      The criteria as set out in the treaties is to be “a European country”, what “European” means has been deliberately left open. Geography is at best a secondary factor.

    • Jumi@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      15 hours ago

      If they can get some kind of special status like the UK had it would make sense, simply because there’s no tariffs inside EU borders and free travel and probably some other stuff.

  • Rob Bos@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    1 day ago

    I think EU membership is a huge stretch, but we could certainly move in the direction of harmonizing with EU trade regulations. A good medium-term goal might be to join the Schengen trade zone, and then move on from there.

  • johncandy1812@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    1 day ago

    I’m not a fan of actions taken in haste but diversifying trading opportunities and providing mutual security really could be beneficial.

  • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    87
    ·
    2 days ago

    Capitalists are gonna have a meltdown when we’ll have to implement the 4 weeks minimum paid vacation, banked overtime with a yearly limit, bretter minimum wage, tougher regulations on food and environment protection. Etc.

    • wise_pancake@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      23
      ·
      2 days ago

      I’ll probably get called entitled, but even 3 weeks isn’t enough, and I know that’s more than many people get.

    • Snowstorm@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      27
      ·
      2 days ago

      Yet i can get behind this framework as something good for the population. It’s like a NDP program but more realistic and with economic growth with our peers as a target.

      This year (most years) i will vote Liberal but i did vote NDP on and off in the past and my circumscription changes from red to orange often in the last two decades.

      • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        2 days ago

        I’m still voting NDP. We can still get a minority liberal government with a strong NDP coalition.

        • Auli@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          1 day ago

          No. Unless they change a party ked by Singh is not getting my vote. I’m not even sure about the liberals yet we’ll have to see what he does so far not looking good. And cons are a no.

          • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            8 hours ago

            Yeah… Just learned this week Carney has ties to Ghislaine Maxwell (or his wife rather). Jeffrey Epstein’s right hand.

            Isn’t it funny how all these rich elites all have ties to that motherfucker? I don’t want to be a conspiracy theorist, but man it’s getting difficult.

            Edit: Holy shit I got duped hard. Turns out it was all fake.

            https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.36WP3BL

            • Akuchimoya@startrek.website
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              10 hours ago

              This is the first I’ve heard of it. Can you share your source, please? I want to see it myself whether it’s reputable before I form an opinion.

              • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                3
                ·
                edit-2
                8 hours ago

                Hey thanks for making me look it up.

                I saw this on an Instagram story. But it turns out it’s all fake. Conservative media has been pushing it really hard. I could only find sources like the the Toronto Sun and True North.

                I got duped pretty bad there.

                I edited my comment with the fact check.

                https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.36WP3BL

      • garbagebagel@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 days ago

        I’ve always been an NDP voter but my anxiety about Cons winning might push a liberal vote from me this time. I don’t love it, but I am also just terrified.

        • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          2 days ago

          It’s a shame really. I’m not a fan of PP by any means. But he’s right when he says it’s going to be more of the same, i fear.

          • Auli@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            1 day ago

            That is my fear. I don’t want more of the same. I want less immigration but neither party is running on that.

    • Pilferjinx@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      Fucking worth the extra taxes. The EU isn’t perfect, but they’re still sane enough to back.

    • acargitz@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 day ago

      Fun fact, Canadians can legislate these things on our own, without having to also adopt a whole bunch of European dysfunction.

      • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        17 hours ago

        Not with the U.S. right next to us we can’t. Every time we push to have better conditions, companies start throwing a tantrum and threatening to move to the U.S. Then that throws the politicians into panic and they never implement anything. I don’t know if this tarif war or conflct with the U.S. is gonna change that.

        • Sicsurfer@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          8 hours ago

          Any company that moves to the states loses Canada and the EU as trading partners. I say let them leave, minimizing your customer base is very hot with the fascists right now

        • argarath@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          11 hours ago

          This makes the current moment perfect, because the US is not becoming more attractive to companies, in fact it’s discouraging new companies, only the absurdly big ones who are already established there have some chances of profiting from this chaos

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 day ago

        Actually, it’s a prerequisite for getting into the European dysfunction.

        Why does everyone think it’s a binary choice somehow?

  • Fabian@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    2 days ago

    I would support stronger ties to Canada, but Canada is not exactly in Europe

        • Pixelnator@pawb.social
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          21 hours ago

          As mentioned in the post above, what constitutes as European is decided by the European Council and European Commission. You are correct in that it is a requirement but there is nothing stopping them from going “Canada is European, as it shares our values, ideals, and ideologies”. The decision does not have to be geographical.

          It’s unlikely and kind of a “the rules don’t say a dog can’t play basketball” type move but it’s technically valid.

        • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          1 day ago

          Cyprus isn’t in Europe at all and is in the EU. You just have to be “substantially” European, according to whatever committee.

          Failing that, it’s possible to be in the EU in every way but officially. Norway and Switzerland have that situation.

          • Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            1 day ago

            They did when they got in.

            The problem is that it’s impossible to kick out a member if they stop respecting the EU’s democratic values whilst being a member.

        • Pixelnator@pawb.social
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          21 hours ago

          The definition of what classifies as European is up to the assessment of the European Council and the European Commission and need not be defined by geography.

          III. CONDITIONS OF ACCESSION a) The European State

          The sole material condition laid down by Article O of the TEU is that the applicant must be a ‘European State’. There is no unequivocal interpretation of that criterion. It can be read equally well in geographical, cultural or political terms.

          In 1987 an application to become a Member of the Communities was received from Morocco. The application was rejected by the Council on the grounds that Morocco was not a European State ( 7). In the case of Turkey, Article 28 of the Association Agreement signed in 1963 incudes the option of Turkey’s eventually acceding to the Communities. Turkey in fact lodged an application to accede on 14 April 1987. Historically, Turkey has formed part of the so-called ‘European concert’. Although part of Turkey’s territory is located geographically in Asia, Parliament, the Council and the Commission have confirmed Turkey’s eligibility ( 8). This example shows that the term ‘European State’ need not be interpreted in a strictly geographical sense. It is at all events a criterion subject to political assessment.

          https://www.europarl.europa.eu/enlargement/briefings/23a2_en.htm

          In other words if we decide that Canada counts, then Canada counts.

    • Allero@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      2 days ago

      So are many parts of the Netherlands or France, for example

      Local residents are not Europeans, they don’t necessarily even use euro despite their mainland countries doing just that, but they are residents of the European Union.

      • Fabian@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        edit-2
        2 days ago

        True, but ‘being in the EU’ is actually not that simple, and these territories have special statuses and and are not part of the ‘core EU’. Here is a simple visualization

  • AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    25
    ·
    2 days ago

    We need stronger ally relationships, considering things are going south with our Southern ally!

  • acargitz@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    1 day ago

    I don’t think Canada needs the Euro or the Stability and Growth Pact straightjacket. We also don’t need European xenophobic attitudes towards immigration.

    Let’s have a customs union, and let’s have closer integration and cooperation, but let’s keep our independence.

    Signed, a dual citizen.

    • SheenSquelcher@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 day ago

      European xenophobic attitudes

      You know we’re not all like that, right?

      And Canada also has far-right nutjobs.

      • acargitz@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        1 day ago

        Yup. Like I said, I’m a dual citizen, and I’ve experienced being an immigrant in Canada and it’s nowhere near what immigrants back home experience. But of course, Europe also has strong left and left-of-centre traditions. It just so happens that right now, they’re mostly on the back foot.

    • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      Stability and Growth Pact

      So, here’s the Wikipedia on that. It sounds like it’s basically a way to make the Euro somewhat functional, which is ironic considering that’s the other thing you said to avoid.

      I wonder how we’d rank. We have the best fiscal situation in the G7 at the moment.

    • Techsorcist@social.vivaldi.net
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 day ago

      @theacharnian @Sunshine

      Yeah works for me.

      Membership of the #EU is a long term project with many intermediate steps. Some decided they are fine with a certain step and stay on it(Norway) some decided to get off completley(Iceland) and some decided to get out after they were in(UK). Though I admit brexit was, unnecessarily, bitter the rift is healing and we enjoy good relations with all.

      Tough I’d welcome Canada into the union I dont think either side fully grasp how deep and wideranging ascension would be. Regardless I’m perfectly fine with a customs union if thats what #Canada wants.

      • P1nkman@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        1 day ago

        Well, Norway was at 52% Vs 48% back in '94. It’s changing, there was a big article on it today on nrk.no, so Norway might become an EU member soon.

      • acargitz@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        1 day ago

        I dont think either side fully grasp how deep and wideranging ascension would be

        Precisely. Canadians are currently experiencing whiplash from the American betrayal. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with strengthening ties, full fledged EU membership is a whole other rabbit hole that requires sober thought.

  • Hastur@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    1 day ago

    Canada is not part of Europe. The EU charter would require rewriting, and thats unlikely to happen.