Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the European Union’s push to elevate ties with Ottawa, including a proposal that would make Canada the EU’s first associate member. Speaking to EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, he said Canada and Europe are each strong on their own, but stronger together.
Carney said the final shape of any such arrangement would have to go through Canada’s domestic political process, with debate and a vote in the Canadian Parliament. He added that the two sides are only at the start of that process.
Without naming U.S. President Donald Trump directly, Carney warned that economic integration is increasingly being used as a tool of pressure. Tariffs, he said, are being deployed coercively, while financial mechanisms and supply chains are being turned into points of leverage.
The remarks came after Trump dismissed the idea of Canada becoming an associate member of the EU as “laughable” and warned the bloc it could face heavy tariffs if Washington viewed the move as a “hostile act.” Speaking in North Carolina, Trump called Canada a “terrible trade partner” and said the U.S. could even stop trading with Europe in many areas if Brussels pressed ahead.
The Trump administration recently raised tariffs on Canadian goods, prompting retaliatory levies from Canada. Carney has previously pledged matching tariffs on U.S. goods, dollar for dollar.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a day earlier that she wanted to work with Carney on “opening the door” for Canada to become the first associate member of the European Union. Associate membership does not currently exist as a formal category under EU treaties, meaning any such framework would need to be created and ratified by member states.
At a news conference after his speech, Carney argued that the process is constructive and does not run against Canada’s relationship with the United States. A stronger, more resilient and more sovereign Canada, he said, would also be a more effective partner for the U.S. He added that Canadians are united in rejecting outside pressure over their language, culture or international partnerships.
Beyond CETA
While the EU has previously been cautious about flexible membership formats, von der Leyen’s backing points to a significant deepening of ties between Ottawa and Brussels. It also comes as Canada remains locked in an intense trade dispute with the United States.
Carney said closer Canada-EU ties should strengthen collective resilience and serve as a signal to other democracies. At the same time, he stressed that he is not proposing a “third bloc” designed to rival great powers. The goal, he said, is not domination but resilience — so that no one can control open markets, undermine sovereignty, threaten territorial integrity or weaken freedoms, democracy and the rule of law.
Canada and the EU already have a free trade agreement, the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA. When it provisionally entered into force in 2017, it eliminated 99% of all tariff lines. Von der Leyen said the two sides could now move from CETA toward an “alliance for the future,” creating a shared space for prosperity and economic security.
She added that the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes” and plan to deepen cooperation on artificial intelligence, climate change, geopolitics and Arctic security.
Before returning to Strasbourg, Carney also met U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool. According to Downing Street, the two leaders stressed the importance of building similarly close ties with European partners, particularly in trade and defense. They also discussed deeper defense cooperation, including the complementary roles of the Multilateral Defence Mechanism and the Canada-led Defence Security Resilience Bank.
