The Canada Grains Council (CGC) is urging the federal government to take a stronger leadership role in addressing emerging trade barriers in the European Union that it says threaten the long-term competitiveness of Canadian grain exports.
In a new white paper released Monday, the council warns that growing regulatory divergence — particularly within the EU — is creating uncertainty for exporters and limiting agriculture’s ability to support Canada’s trade diversification and economic growth goals.
“As Canada looks to diversify trade and strengthen economic resilience, agriculture must be part of the solution,” said CGC president Erin Gowriluk. “Science-based, risk-based regulation is essential to maintaining market access and ensuring Canadian farmers can continue to innovate.”
The paper highlights concern with the EU’s increasing reliance on hazard-based regulation for crop protection products. Unlike Canada’s risk-based approach, which assesses real-world exposure and use, hazard-based systems focus on theoretical risks. The CGC warns this shift could restrict imports of Canadian grain produced using crop protection tools that have been approved as safe by Canadian regulators.
Of particular concern is the EU’s move toward pesticide reciprocity measures, which would require imported products to meet European production standards.
To counter these risks, the white paper outlines two key recommendations for Ottawa. First, the CGC is calling on Canada to establish and lead a coalition of like-minded countries to defend science- and risk-based regulation and promote trade-facilitative approaches to crop protection standards, including better international alignment on maximum residue levels.
Second, the council urges the federal government to fully use existing bilateral tools — including mechanisms under the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) — to challenge innovation-related trade barriers and oppose the EU’s pesticide reciprocity approach.
“Canada has an opportunity to lead globally on science-based trade,” Gowriluk said. “By working with trusted partners, we can protect export markets, support innovation and strengthen agriculture’s contribution to Canada’s economy.”
The CGC says proactive leadership will be critical to ensuring Canadian grain remains competitive in a rapidly evolving global trade environment.
The full white paper is available here:
https://canadagrainscouncil.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CGC_EU_White_Paper_January_2026_v4_min.pdf
