Canada Becoming EU “Associate Member” Would Be a Positive Move, Carney Says

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the European Union’s proposal for Canada to become the bloc’s first “associate member”, describing closer ties with Europe as a positive development that could strengthen Canada’s international partnerships.

Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday, Carney backed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal, made a day earlier during her annual State of the Union address.

Von der Leyen had said she wanted to “open the door” for Canada to become the EU’s first associate member, although the proposed status has not yet been defined under EU treaties and would require agreement from the bloc’s member states.

Carney said Canada and Europe were stronger together and welcomed the EU’s ambition to develop a deeper relationship.

“We are not fair-weather allies,” Carney told European lawmakers, arguing that closer cooperation should strengthen resilience and protect shared interests rather than create a new rival power bloc.

He said Canada wanted to work more closely with the EU on critical minerals, defence, artificial intelligence, energy security, space, digital trade and other strategic areas. He also proposed closer links between Canadian and European economies and greater opportunities for young people to live, work and study on either side of the Atlantic.

Speaking to reporters after his address, Carney said a closer alliance with the EU would make Canada a “more effective partner” of the United States, while stressing that Canada would continue to make its own decisions about international partnerships.

“Nobody is going to tell Canadians what language we speak, no-one is going to dictate our culture, or with whom we can strike agreements internationally,” he said.

Carney’s comments come amid growing trade tensions between Canada and the United States. Recent US tariff increases on Canadian goods have been met with retaliatory measures from Ottawa, while negotiations between the two countries have become increasingly difficult.

US President Donald Trump has criticised the proposed EU-Canada relationship, calling the idea of Canada becoming an associate member “laughable”. He has also warned that Washington could impose further tariffs or restrict trade with Europe if he considers the move hostile to the United States.

The European Commission has rejected the suggestion that the proposal is directed against Washington. Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said the planned strengthening of the EU’s relationship with Canada was “not against anyone else, but for our common strength”.

The proposed associate membership would not amount to Canada becoming a full EU member. The EU currently has no established legal category for “associate membership”, meaning the concept would need to be developed and agreed upon before it could become a formal arrangement.

Von der Leyen has said the relationship could involve cooperation in economic security, advanced manufacturing, technology, defence, the Arctic, energy, critical minerals, batteries, quantum computing and cybersecurity.

Carney also pointed to Canada’s ability to contribute to European energy security through supplies of liquefied natural gas and hydrogen, alongside potential cooperation on infrastructure.

The Canadian prime minister’s visit comes as Ottawa seeks to strengthen its relationships with countries and blocs beyond its traditional dependence on the US market. Canada has also applied to join the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a military coalition involving 10 NATO member states, as part of broader efforts to deepen defence cooperation with European partners.

Carney said the proposed relationship should focus on practical cooperation rather than the title attached to it, arguing that the substance of any new partnership would matter more than the terminology used.

The proposal will now face discussions within the EU, where member states would need to agree on whether and how such an arrangement could be established.