Ottawa – The European Commission President says Canada should focus on exporting “clean hydrogen” to Europe as the continent seeks to shift away from Russian sources of fossil fuels.

“The possibilities are limitless,” Ursula von der Leyen said in written responses to questions from The Canadian Press on the eve of her visit to Canada. “It is imperative that we expand our collaboration on this energy of the future […] For me, the greatest potential for our energy cooperation lies in renewable hydrogen.”

Von der Leyen was due to arrive in Canada on Monday evening for a brief visit to Ottawa and Tuesday to Kingston, Ontario. This visit of the European leader will be dedicated to “clean energy”, trade and support to Ukraine.

In an email interview, von der Leyen wrote that Canada could also expand its exports of liquefied natural gas as an interim step towards more hydrogen exports.

The President of the European Commission also believes that the trade deal between the European Union (EU) and Canada is a way to strengthen ties with their allies in a turbulent world.

Achim Hurrelmann, co-director of the Center for European Studies at Carleton University, does not expect any big announcements during the visit, but he thinks it is of some importance given that it is his first official visit to Canada since it began at the end of 2019 Head of the European Commission. Ms. von der Leyen was due to visit Canada last fall but her visit was postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

“President von der Leyen probably comes to North America mainly for meetings in Washington. But because Canada is such a strong partner for the European Union, it stops with Canada too, he stressed. There is really nothing in Canada-EU relations that would make this visit mandatory at this time.”

New rules for wood

His visit also comes as the EU implements new forest regulations that have angered the Canadian delegation in Brussels. Last November, Canada’s ambassador to the EU, Ailish Campbell, argued that the new rules are “onerous” because, for example, they require timber imports to have geolocation data to trace trees of origin.

In a letter obtained by Politico, Ms Campbell called for the rules to be shifted – or banned – for Canada, arguing it was one of the best ways to prevent deforestation. The letter made no mention of the controversial logging of old-growth forest in places like the Fairy Creek watershed on Vancouver Island.

Asked about these concerns, Ms Von der Leyen said the measures contained “absolutely no discrimination” as they bring imports up to the same standards as those in the EU forest sector. “These rules will improve business opportunities for companies and countries with sustainable practices,” she wrote, adding that they are in line with pledges made at the UN Biodiversity Summit in India in Montreal last year.

Von der Leyen said her visit is also aimed at boosting Canada’s trade with Europe through a trade deal that has been in “draft form” for five years.

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement increased bilateral trade by a third, with trade in goods increasing by 66%. Still, 10 of the 27 EU member countries have yet to fully ratify the deal, largely due to local concerns about the mechanisms companies can use to seek compensation and settle disputes.

Canadian companies are also encountering strict EU rules on food labeling and hygiene, such as: B. Pesticide residues and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). And the EU countries pay attention to controlled designations of origin such as champagne.

A “more than commercial” agreement

Ms. von der Leyen believes that this agreement is more than just commercial as it lays down rules on sustainability, gender equality and labor rights.

“With Russia’s war on Ukraine and its global shockwaves, (the deal) has become a more important bridge than ever, helping to build resilient supply chains between two close, like-minded allies. »

To that end, von der Leyen thanked Canada for its solidarity after Moscow restricted fuel exports that Europe has relied on for decades.

She also recalled that Europe is open to importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) direct from Canada, although analysts have warned it will take years to put in place the necessary infrastructure to make this possible on the Atlantic seaboard. “We should continue to cooperate on LNG, knowing that some of the assets could then be reallocated to the hydrogen business,” she said.

For now, Canada is keen to find ways to facilitate LNG supplies to Europe, such as by shipping gas to the United States to replace fuels imported from North America. It is not known if any of these expeditions were ever organized.

Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said last August that Canada could ramp up LNG production as a transition fuel for economies in transition or even for so-called “blue hydrogen” production. But European countries have generally been pushing for hydrogen that isn’t made with fossil fuels, dubbed “green hydrogen.”