Carney says EU and Canada will define 'deepest possible partnership' by mid-2027

Canadian Prime Minister Mark ‌Carney said ​on Friday he and his European counterparts would define the scale and scope of a "new form" of European Union membership ‌over the coming months, and that Canada would become its first "associate member." The term, first suggested by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is so divisive among member countries that it ‌does not appear in the final statement of a Canada-EU summit in Montreal.

Carney said ‌the EU and Canada were launching an "alliance for the future," to focus on resilience in areas including AI, energy and critical minerals. "We are working towards the deepest possible partnership, short of accession," he said, adding ⁠that this ​would result in "Canada becoming ⁠the European Union’s first Associate Member."

The associate member term, which Germany and several other EU countries oppose, has ⁠no legal meaning. In a joint statement released to mark the end of the summit, Canadian and ​EU leaders cited an “unwavering commitment to effective multilateralism, democracy and to the rules-based international order."

The ⁠statement said Canada and the 27-nation EU would work to resolve the conflicts in Ukraine and the ⁠Middle ​East and deepen security ties elsewhere, including in the Arctic. US President Donald Trump has adopted a more transactional approach to foreign policy and has repeatedly attacked multilateral institutions. Last ⁠month, he threatened trade sanctions in response to von der Leyen's proposal to create a new ⁠status for the ⁠EU-Canada relationship.

The statement said talks had been concluded on a digital trade agreement that would complement the existing trade agreement between Canada ‌and the ‌EU. (Additional reporting by Ryan Jones, Editing by ​Ros Russell and Timothy Heritage)