Canada and EU seek tangible outcomes at Montreal summit, says former envoy

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the Canada-European Union summit in Montreal will focus on forging a "new, ambitious alliance" after both sides pledged deeper ties last month. In a written statement, Carney described the alliance as one that builds resilience for citizens and remains open enough for other partners to join.

Former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, who served as Canada’s special envoy to the EU from 2017 to 2025, told CBC that the summit must produce concrete outcomes in areas such as trade, science, defence, security and artificial intelligence. He warned that a vague communiqué would be "very depressing."

Dion highlighted the need to improve student and professional mobility, citing Carney’s recent interest in the EU’s Erasmus+ programme. He also called for action to bring the Canada-European Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) fully into force, noting that nine EU member states have yet to ratify it.

Negotiations are under way on a digital trade agreement aimed at easing cross-border business through e-signatures, paperless trade and secure data flows.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has suggested Canada could become the EU’s first "associate member," a proposal Carney welcomed as ambitious but referred to as an "alliance of the future." Dion expressed skepticism, saying the term could be perceived as ceding sovereignty and faces resistance in both Canada and Europe. He proposed Canada take an "official observer" status instead, allowing reciprocity without voting rights, and suggested full participation in the European Political Community, which he said would welcome Canada as the most European of non-European countries.