Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa plans to begin talks on a “unique alliance” with the European Union. The country is not seeking full membership in the bloc.
Carney made the comments to reporters on Sunday evening on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival. “We’re not looking to become a member of the European Union. What we are looking for — and will begin discussions for — is a unique alliance between Canada and the European Union. We share the same values, we have the same priorities, and we have very complementary strengths,” he said.
The remarks followed a Wall Street Journal report that Carney was exploring the idea of Canada becoming an “associate member” of the EU — a status that does not currently exist. According to the newspaper, the two sides are discussing freer movement of goods, services and workers in strategic sectors including energy, artificial intelligence, the defence industry and critical minerals. Joint projects under discussion include undersea cables, data centres, satellite networks and infrastructure to ship Canadian energy to Europe.
Carney will travel to Europe in the coming days. He is due to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg and attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s annual State of the European Union address. A meeting with the British prime minister is also planned.
Ties between Canada and the EU have deepened amid a trade conflict with the United States. In June 2025 the two sides announced the “New EU-Canada Strategic Partnership of the Future” and signed a security and defence partnership. Canada became the first non-European country to gain access to the EU’s SAFE defence initiative. Carney has repeatedly described Canada as “the most European of non-European countries.”
The details of any future arrangement remain undefined. Officials on both sides stress that the goal is the most ambitious possible cooperation short of EU membership.
