By Paolo Quattrocchi
Lawyer, Vice-President of ICCCW, Director of the Centro Studi Italia-Canada and Partner at ADVANT Nctm Law Firm in Rome

In 2016, the European Union (EU) and Canada entered into two pivotal agreements: the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA), aimed at strategic matters, and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), focused on economic and commercial aspects.

Italy and Europe have profound historical ties with Canada that trace back to the colonial period. Originally established as a French colony in the early 17th century, the geographical area now encompassing modern-day Canada was later ceded to the British Empire by the French following the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War in 1763. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Canada witnessed successive waves of European immigration. The Canadian government actively promoted immigration through various initiatives, such as the Dominion Lands Act of 1872 and the Canadian Pacific Railway’s recruitment campaigns. This period saw significant immigration from Central and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Poland, Italy, and the Baltic states. Moreover, in the same period, there was a huge immigration from China, and, later on, after World War II, Canada gradually saw a more diverse influx of immigrants from Asia, including countries such as India, the Philippines, Korea, and Pakistan.

Read the full article here: https://www.centrostudi-italiacanada.it/articles/an-overview-of-eu-italy-canada-relations-with-a-view-to-italys-ratification-of-eu-canada-comprehensive-economic-and-trade-agreement-ceta