Strategic Knowledge Cluster Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue: Seeking transnational solutions to 21st century problems
Carleton University, Centre for European Studies

 

Project background

Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), associated universities, and partners, this seven-year project supports a major research network that will promote dialogue between researchers in Canada and Europe to explore responses to common policy challenges.

Called the Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue, the project is housed at Carleton University in Ottawa and includes over 60 Canadian researchers from 18 universities, with partners from government and the NGO sector. Leading Canadian scholars from five other Canadian universities have joined with Carleton University to launch the project: the Universities of British Columbia, Montreal, Toronto and Victoria, and McGill University. In addition, there are collaborators and partners from across Europe.

The Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue focuses on the following research themes:

• the environment and sustainable development;
• immigration and social policy;
• economic cooperation and competition;
• "democratic deficits" and policy coordination in multi-level systems; and
• the EU and Canada as global actors in international conflict management and security.
  

The goal of the project is to disseminate research findings about the EU and its member states to Canadian policy-makers, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and the interested public, and also to make Europeans experts and policy-makers more aware of Canadian research expertise on Europe. "Sharing European and Canadian experiences, based on a solid base of Canadian scientific research, will ensure that we do not unknowingly replicate unsuccessful approaches or miss promising ones," says Joan DeBardeleben, Director of the project and Chancellor's Professor at Carleton University. Each year, the network will support a major transatlantic event that will bring together European and Canadian experts. It will also support student internships abroad, mentoring of young researchers, policy working groups, development of briefing papers, and media outreach.

For more information see
http://www.carleton.ca/europecluster/index.html

 

Policy briefs

• The Policy Brief "Policy considerations in the negotiation of a new air services agreement between Canada and the European Union" looks into the costs and benefits of a new open skies deal for the Canadian air carriers. Mark Glynn, under the direction of Professor Armand de Mestral, assesses the regulatory restrictions which could prevent Canada from benefiting from the revolution of transatlantic air services. The authors ask whether investment and tourist Euros may be diverted southward to the United States due to better and cheaper connectivity.
• In the second Policy Brief Armand de Mestral  examines "The EU as a Maker of Investment Agreements: the Potential Impact on Canada and the Broader World System of Bilateral Investment Treaties."  The author argues that while a final agreement between Canada and the EU is likely more than a year away, the changing competences at the EU level mean that Canada must be prepared to treat the EU as a single unit for the purposes of negotiating either a new BIT or an investment chapter in any future trade agreement.
• In a third paper Robin F. Hansen under the direction of Professor Armand de Mestral looks at "An EU - Canada Economic Partnership: Legal Considerations and Possible Treaty Scope". The focus of the paper is on the domestic negotiating restrictions of Canada and the EU and the scope for regulatory convergence which exists between the two sides.
• Also, please note an earlier publication by Patrick Leblond which is available in French and in English:
  "L'accord de partenariat économique entre le Canada et l'UE est toujours sur les rails."
  "The Economic Partnership Agreement between Canada and the EU is Still on Track."
  In his policy brief Patrick Leblond (University of Ottawa) argues that following the release of the joint study on the benefits of a closer economic partnership, Canada and the EU have a unique opportunity to develop a second generation preferential trade agreement, which could be a model for the rest of the world. Dr. Leblond provides his perspective on the study and offers suggestions on what the Canadian government needs to do to move this opportunity into the negotiation phase.
  

Policy Briefs present concise, policy-oriented analyses of topical issues in European affairs, with the aim of bringing research findings to bear in a timely and direct fashion on public discussion of issues facing the public and decision-makers.
The views expressed in policy briefs represent the perspectives of the authors and do not represent a position of CETD or associated organizations.

More policy briefs at
http://www.carleton.ca/europecluster/publications.html