The EU’s Ambassador to Canada, Geneviève Tuts, says the bloc is looking to "elevate" its relationship with this country and take it to the "next level."

In an interview with the CBC’s Power & Politics on Tuesday, Tuts dismissed the idea of outright membership, but said Canada and the EU should look for "something else, something stronger than what we have today."

"We have to be creative, we have to be innovative, and we are creative in Europe, we have ideas," Tuts said.

Recent polling suggests the idea of Canada joining the EU is gaining in popularity within Europe. The notion has been floated by France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

A country can join the EU if it fulfils what's known as the Copenhagen criteria, a list of specific values such stable democratic institutions, the rule of law and human rights. Any European State which respects these values may apply.

While Tuts said that poses obvious geographic restrictions for Canada, "that doesn’t mean that we should not look for another form of co-operation."

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