Canada wants to deepen integration with the EU, but without accession

Canada is preparing to start negotiations with the European Union on a new, much deeper partnership format, but does not plan to join the bloc. Prime Minister Mark Carney called the future relations a "unique alliance" that should cover the economy, security, and strategic technologies.

Carney said that Canada does not seek to become a member of the EU but sees the possibility of significantly closer integration with Europe thanks to shared values, political priorities, and complementary economies.

The negotiations are still at an early stage, so there is no final model of the future partnership yet. According to CBC, the Canadian government is more focused on the practical opportunities of the new format than on its official name.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that Carney instructed his team to work out the deepest possible options for integration with the EU that do not involve full membership. Among the possible models, the name "associate member" was discussed, although the Canadian government emphasizes that this is only one of the options and Ottawa has not officially proposed it.

One of the areas of potential rapprochement could be the simplification of the movement of goods, services, and professionals, as well as joint projects in energy, defense industry, artificial intelligence, and critical raw materials. It is these areas that Canada considers key to reducing economic dependence on the United States.

Ottawa's interest in Europe has noticeably increased after a new escalation of trade relations with Washington. The negotiations between Canada and the United States recently broke down, after which the parties moved to new mutual trade restrictions. Against this background, the Carney government is trying to diversify foreign trade and attract investment.

Rapprochement with the EU is already going beyond traditional trade. In 2025, Canada and the European Union launched a new strategic partnership covering digital technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure. At the same time, the parties concluded a separate partnership in security and defense.

In February 2026, Canada also joined the European defense mechanism SAFE, which allows Canadian companies to participate in joint defense procurement and European projects to ramp up arms production.

The EU is already Canada's second-largest trading partner after the United States. According to the Canadian government, in 2025, trade in goods and services between the parties amounted to about 178 billion Canadian dollars. The European Union also ranks second among sources of foreign direct investment in the Canadian economy.

The new stage of negotiations is to begin during Carney's European trip on September 15-17. In Strasbourg, he will address the European Parliament and hold meetings with European politicians. The formal address of the Canadian Prime Minister at the European Parliament is scheduled for September 17. 

The parties expect to shape more specific parameters of the future partnership by the Canada-EU summit, which will take place on October 29-30. In parallel, Ottawa is in talks with Brussels on participation in the EU loan for Ukraine of €90 billion, joining the European supercomputer network, and deepening digital trade.

Based on materials from: CBC, The Wall Street Journal, Government of Canada