OTTAWA, September 13 — Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Sunday that Canada is not seeking to become a member of the European Union, but is opening discussions on what he called a “unique alliance” with the 27-member bloc — the clearest signal yet that Ottawa is steering its trade and strategic weight away from Washington as the tariff war with the Trump administration grinds on.
“We share the same values, we have the same priorities, and we have very complementary strengths,” Carney said, adding that Canada is not “looking to become a member of the European Union.” He is set to deliver a speech to the European Parliament this week in Strasbourg, France. The notion of Canada drawing closer to Brussels — or even joining outright — has gained traction inside the country over the past two years as Ottawa looks to cut its economic dependence on the United States.
A Wall Street Journal report published Saturday detailed how, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Carney pushed to bolster ties with the trading bloc, instructing a special envoy to Europe to scope out possibilities “short of full membership in the EU or its common market,” citing people familiar with the matter. On the question of full membership, the short answer is no — at least not as a full member.
Canada, a former British colony, shares deep cultural and historical ties to Europe and resembles European models in its parliamentary democracy, universal health care and social welfare. It even shares a small land border with Europe, through Denmark on Hans Island, a small landmass off northwest Greenland.
But there is one obvious barrier: Canada is not geographically in Europe. Accession is a strict, multi-stage process, and any candidacy must be unanimously approved by all 27 member states. Nine countries are currently recognized as candidates.
The “associate member” idea
According to the Journal, Carney has suggested to European leaders that Canada take on a tailored, highly integrated role as a so-called “associate member” — an idea that at least some leaders in the bloc seem open to, according to officials from both sides.
Among the items European and Canadian officials have discussed, per the Journal: reducing trade barriers; laying underwater cables linking Europe and Canada; redirecting pipelines to grant Europe access to Canadian gas; building new AI and tech infrastructure; and even granting Canadians the right to live and work in Europe visa-free. Under those terms, Canada would hold a relationship with the EU unprecedented for a country outside Europe.
The EU’s ambassador to Canada told the Canadian Press last week the partnership would be unlike anything that currently exists, without giving specifics. Details of what a potential alliance could look like have yet to be announced publicly. Still, the signals are stacking up.
Ahead of Carney’s Thursday speech, the European Parliament announced it will open a new antenna office in Ottawa, underlining its commitment to “deepening political dialogue and cooperation with Canada,” according to a news release. The two sides already share a sizable trading relationship that has grown steadily since large parts of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement came into force in 2017.
Bilateral trade in goods and services reached €130.8 billion ($151 billion) last year, according to the European Commission, up more than 80% over the past decade. Major EU exports to Canada include cars, machinery and pharmaceuticals; Canadian exports to Europe include crude oil, fertilizer, critical minerals and base metals.
Friends in high places
Carney, a former governor of the Bank of England, has strong ties in Europe from his banking days and has cultivated relationships with like-minded European leaders since becoming prime minister in March 2025.
In Paris last year, during his first official foreign trip as leader — notably not to the US, a break from modern tradition — Carney described Canada as “the most European of non-European countries.” Since then, several EU countries have floated the idea of Canada joining the bloc, including Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, who once called the possibility “a marriage made in heaven.” Stubb and Carney reportedly text each other daily and are known for squeezing in a jog or a game of ice hockey between meetings on official trips.
In an April interview with CNN newsgathering partner CBC News, Stubb said he can “envisage a much larger EU, whether Canada is a part of it or not is up to Canada to decide,” and said the two countries’ close values could “forge a really close strategic partnership.” “Wouldn’t it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?” Stubb asked, according to the Journal.
Carney has also leaned into Canada’s long-standing relationship with France, traveling there several times during his tenure to warm reception from French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders are set to meet Sunday in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, a French archipelago off the coast of Newfoundland, according to reports.
What to watch next: Carney’s address to the European Parliament on Thursday in Strasbourg, and whether Brussels and Ottawa put any of the associate-member framework on paper.
