Canada aims to become EU's first associate member after June talks
Prime Minister Mark Carney said negotiations with the European Union are expected to conclude in June, potentially granting Canada associate-member status in the bloc.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on Friday that talks with the European Union are slated to finish in June, with the goal of making Canada the EU's first associate member. He said he will attend a European leaders' meeting in June to finalize the arrangement, which would fall short of full EU membership.
The joint declaration issued after a two-day summit in Montreal did not mention associate membership, instead committing the parties to define an "ever-closer association" by the next summit in 2027. Carney added that Canadian cabinet ministers and European commissioners will meet in March to advance the negotiations before he joins the European Council meetings in June.
At the summit, Carney, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa launched the "Alliance for the Future," highlighting progress on digital trade, investment in Canadian critical minerals and cooperation on artificial intelligence. The two sides also concluded substantive talks on a digital trade agreement and an investment pact aimed at encouraging European funding for Canadian critical minerals.
Carney said Canada will join a European supercomputing initiative, noting that the EU's JUPITER supercomputer could perform in one day calculations that would take Canada's most powerful research computer six months.
Costa described the alliance as the closest relationship the EU has ever had with a non-European country, while von der Leyen emphasized that shared values, rather than geography, guide partnership decisions. Carney said the alliance would bolster the sovereignty of both Canada and Europe and help them withstand economic shocks.
The leaders also discussed linking instant-payment systems, studying the feasibility of exporting Canadian liquefied natural gas to Europe, and exploring new undersea cables connecting Canada, Europe and Asia. Further cooperation is planned in areas such as border security, defence, cybersecurity, Arctic security and counter-foreign interference.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the proposed arrangement, suggesting it could be hostile and threatening tariffs on Europe if he deems it unfriendly. The United States accounted for 71.7% of Canada’s merchandise exports in 2025, highlighting the challenge for Canada as it seeks to diversify its trade.