EU prepares expanded partnership with Canada ahead of October summit

The European Union is preparing a set of proposals to deepen economic and security cooperation with Canada as trade tensions with the United States intensify. The initiatives, which will be outlined in Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech, cover critical raw materials, digital trade, education programmes, skilled-worker mobility and Arctic defence, and are intended to give Ottawa alternatives to its traditional U.S. partnership.

EU officials said the most ambitious option would bring Canada closer to the EU single market, granting Canadian citizens broader rights to live and work across the bloc and giving businesses smoother access to its 450 million consumers. Spanish Socialist lawmaker Javier Moreno, who chairs the Parliament’s delegation to Canada, suggested the integration could exceed the level enjoyed by Switzerland and Norway.

"Canadians are the most European people outside of Europe," Moreno said.

The push follows recent U.S. tariffs on Canadian manufacturing and agricultural products. An EU diplomat warned that von der Leyen should present a concrete offer to Carney at the parliamentary hearing to avoid disappointment before the October summit in Montreal.

"It is already an important signal of the closeness of the relationship," EU ambassador to Canada Geneviève Tuts said.

Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič highlighted Canada’s abundant reserves of copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt and rare-earth elements, and asked whether joint projects could attract sufficient investment. French MEP Valérie Hayer echoed the need for fresh thinking and joint infrastructure investment to diversify supply chains.

In the cultural and education sphere, officials proposed expanding Canada’s participation in the Erasmus+ programme and simplifying artist visas, while also extending mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

EU leaders may also seek to finalize the long-pending Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and a digital trade accord, which Šefčovič expects to conclude by year-end. The digital agreement is seen as a priority for the planned October summit.

Security cooperation could include greater Canadian involvement in the EU’s €150 billion defence funding scheme SAFE and a role in the revised EU Arctic Strategy, which aims to address hybrid threats and new maritime routes.

"We want to do something more than a strategic policy that we have," Tuts said, referring to existing agreements.

The proposals will be discussed further as Carney prepares to address the European Parliament later this week, with an EU-Canada summit scheduled for October in Montreal.