EU chief pushes deeper Canada ties despite internal resistance from conservative member states
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used a Montreal summit to defend an associate-member style partnership with Canada, even as resistance from within the EU — especially Germany — forced the bloc to soften its wording.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used a keynote address in Montreal to push once again for a partnership with Canada that would bring the two parties "closer to membership than anything we've done before." The two-day summit is meant to deepen the Canada-EU relationship as both sides try to lessen dependence on the United States under President Donald Trump, whose erratic trade posture has made diversification more urgent.
The term "associate membership" was stripped from a joint statement the day before the speech, replaced by a vaguer commitment to an "ever closer association" after objections surfaced from inside the bloc. Von der Leyen, who unveiled the initiative last month, described the proposal as "an association without accession" and said it would align policies on artificial intelligence, climate, energy, security and governance.
"It means more work shared by the European Commission and the Canadian government," von der Leyen said, adding that cooperation could extend to "parliament to parliament" and "court to court" interactions.
EU officials say that while the Commission can champion the idea, the final decision rests with the member states. Sources told CBC that Germany opposes the "associate member" label, calling it a red line and underscoring the EU’s internal conservatism on institutional change.
Canadian Finance Minister Bill Carney stressed that the terminology matters less than the practical benefits for Canadians, saying the goal is to make Canada more independent and sovereign rather than more vulnerable to external pressure.
President Trump has warned that he could regard the move as hostile and consider trade retaliation against Europe. A senior Canadian official, speaking on background, said the summit is not aimed against any country but reflects shared interests and a desire for greater strategic autonomy.
The EU-Canada statement seen by CBC commits to a predictable trade environment, deeper Arctic cooperation, counter-information measures, continued support for Ukraine and negotiations for greater participation in the Erasmus student exchange program. While the statement has now been finalized by EU members, Canada may still ask for changes before the summit ends on Friday.
Carney is scheduled to host a business roundtable and a dinner honoring von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa later in the week.