Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he expects to conclude negotiations with the European Union in June on an unprecedented partnership that would make Canada the bloc’s first “associate member.” MONTREAL -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday he expects to conclude negotiations with the European Union in June on an unprecedented partnership that would make Canada the bloc’s first “associate member,” even though the designation was left out of a joint declaration launching a new economic and security alliance. Carney said he would attend a meeting of European leaders in June to conclude negotiations on the proposed relationship, which would stop short of full EU membership. The joint declaration issued at the end of a two-day summit in Montreal made no mention of associate membership.
Instead, the leaders agreed to define an “ever-closer association” by their next summit in 2027. Carney said Canadian Cabinet ministers and European commissioners would meet in March to advance negotiations before he attends European Council meetings in June. Carney, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa launched the “Alliance for the Future,” announcing progress on digital trade, European investment in Canadian critical minerals and artificial intelligence as Canada and Europe seek greater economic independence.
The two sides concluded substantive negotiations on a digital trade agreement intended to make it easier for businesses to operate across the Atlantic and move data between Canada and Europe. Canada and the European Investment Bank also concluded negotiations on an agreement to encourage European investment in Canadian critical minerals, which are essential for industries ranging from electric vehicles to defense. Canada will also participate in a European supercomputing initiative that Carney said could dramatically accelerate research.
He said Europe’s JUPITER supercomputer could complete in one day calculations that would take Canada’s most powerful research computer six months. Costa said the alliance would be the closest relationship the EU has ever established with a country outside the bloc, expanding cooperation on trade, research and security as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war strains relations with traditional allies.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said shared values mattered more than geography in determining which countries should work together. Our ability to live our lives as we wish,” Carney said. Von der Leyen has been pushing for Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member,” despite resistance from some European governments to the designation.
The two sides also concluded negotiations on a competition agreement intended to curb anti-competitive practices and lower prices for consumers. Canada and the EU will explore linking their instant-payment systems to make cross-border money transfers faster and cheaper. The broader Alliance for the Future could eventually include other like-minded countries, with Canada and the EU at its core.
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