Mark Carney, in an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday, called for "deep cooperation" between Europe and Canada to secure their sovereignty. He welcomed the objective of Canada becoming the EU’s first associate member, a proposal that Donald Trump has derided as "laughable."
Carney stated that polling shows an overwhelming majority of Canadians support much closer ties with Europe. He outlined plans for future cooperation across sectors including critical minerals, energy security, AI, defence industrial capacity, space, and payments. He also proposed "seamless digital trade in non-agricultural goods and a wide range of services," along with a youth exchange programme and Canadian membership of the Erasmus+ scheme.
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, had invited Canada to become the EU’s first ever associate member on Wednesday, expressing a desire to elevate the bilateral relationship. Following this, Trump threatened "very serious tariffs" on Europe if the plan proceeded. Carney responded to Trump's comments by stating that the deepening EU-Canada relationship is "a positive initiative" and not a reaction to other events.
While EU member states support closer ties with Canada, some have reacted coolly to the specific name "associate membership." Carney noted that Canada is not seeking to become a full member of the European Union, and the Canadian parliament would debate and vote on the future relationship.