MONTREAL (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday he expects to conclude negotiations with the European Union in June on an unprecedented partnership that would make Canada the bloc’s first “associate member,” even though the designation was left out of a joint declaration launching a new economic and security alliance.
Carney said he would attend a meeting of European leaders in June to conclude negotiations on the proposed relationship, which would stop short of full EU membership.
“In parallel, we are working towards the deepest possible partnership, short of accession — with Canada becoming the European Union’s first Associate Member,” Carney said.
The joint declaration issued at the end of a two-day summit in Montreal made no mention of associate membership. Instead, the leaders agreed to define an “ever-closer association” by their next summit in 2027.
European Council President António Costa said the alliance would be the closest relationship the EU has ever established with a country outside the bloc, expanding cooperation on trade, research and security as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war strains relations with traditional allies.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said shared values mattered more than geography in determining which countries should work together.
“It is not so important where the countries are on the map,” von der Leyen said. “What is important are the values that a country defends and where countries stand in international relations.”
Carney said the proposed alliance would strengthen the sovereignty of Canada and Europe and help them weather economic shocks.
“And it means, at its base, sovereignty, greater resilience, an ability to withstand shocks together,” he said.
Von der Leyen has been pushing for Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member,” despite resistance from some European governments to the designation. Carney has also used the term, although he has emphasized that the partnership’s benefits matter more than its name.
“We want Canada as close a partner as possible to the European Union,” von der Leyen said. “We know that Canada cannot be a full-fledged member of the European Union, but to have a relationship as close as possible, this is our goal.”
Carney said the proposed alliance would make life more affordable, give consumers more choices and create opportunities for businesses, young people and researchers.
Von der Leyen said Canada and the EU were also creating a common space with other trusted partners to confront challenges involving critical minerals, resilient supply chains, artificial intelligence and space.
The leaders are expected to announce a digital trade agreement Friday, along with initiatives to expand scientific research partnerships and university student exchanges. Von der Leyen has also said the two sides would finalize an agreement giving Canadian companies and researchers access to Europe’s network of supercomputers to develop artificial intelligence.
Trump has suggested Canada’s proposed EU arrangement could be a “hostile act” and threatened tariffs on Europe if he considered it unfriendly. The United States accounted for 71.7% of Canada’s merchandise exports in 2025, underscoring the challenge Carney faces as he seeks to double exports to other countries over the next decade.
