Canada has welcomed a proposal from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to make the country the European Union’s first associate member, signalling an ambition to deepen cooperation between Ottawa and Brussels. Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada and Europe share fundamental values and can strengthen their strategic position through closer cooperation.
Canada has welcomed a proposal from EU, which marks a potentially significant step in the evolving relationship between Canada and the European Union. Von der Leyen had floated the idea of associate membership a day earlier, suggesting a new framework for closer engagement between Canada and the bloc.
Carney responded positively to the proposal, telling European lawmakers that Canada welcomed the ambition. He argued that the two sides should work together to strengthen their strategic autonomy across a broad range of capabilities.
“Canada welcomes this ambition,” Carney said, while stressing the importance of deeper cooperation between Canada and Europe. He said such cooperation should extend across the full spectrum of strategic capabilities, reflecting what he described as shared interests between the two sides.
The Canadian prime minister also used his address to emphasise the longstanding relationship between Canada and Europe. He described Canada and the EU as partners whose relationship is not dependent on temporary circumstances or narrow transactional interests.
“We are not fair-weather allies,” Carney said, underscoring the durability of the partnership. He also rejected a purely transactional approach to international relations, saying Canada and Europe do not pursue “zero-sum deals”.
According to Carney, the relationship rests on values that both sides have historically defended. He said these common principles require continued vigilance and cooperation, particularly at a time when countries are reassessing their strategic relationships and priorities.
The Canadian leader's remarks come against a backdrop of growing European efforts to strengthen strategic autonomy and build partnerships with like-minded countries. For Canada, closer engagement with the EU could provide another avenue for cooperation on economic, security and strategic matters.
Carney also highlighted the complementary strengths of Canada and Europe. Rather than presenting the relationship as one in which one side gains at the expense of the other, he framed it as a partnership capable of delivering mutual benefits.
“Canada and Europe are each strong. Europe and Canada are stronger together,” Carney said.
The proposal for associate membership could therefore open discussions on what a closer institutional relationship between Canada and the EU might look like. While the precise framework and scope of such an arrangement would need to be developed, Carney's response indicates that Ottawa is prepared to engage seriously with the idea.
The development also reflects Canada's broader interest in reinforcing partnerships based on shared democratic values and strategic interests. For the EU, deeper cooperation with Canada could expand its network of relationships beyond the bloc while strengthening ties with a major transatlantic partner.
For now, the proposal remains an expression of political ambition rather than an established institutional arrangement. Any move towards associate membership would require further discussions between Canada and the European Union over its structure, responsibilities and areas of cooperation.
Carney's address, however, made clear that Canada sees value in moving the relationship towards a deeper and more strategically coordinated partnership. His message to European lawmakers was that shared values, mutual interests and cooperation could provide the foundation for a stronger Canada-Europe relationship in the years ahead.
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