Key facts
- Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney proposed deeper cooperation with the EU.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen invited Canada to become the EU's first associate member.
- Carney emphasized cooperation on energy, economic security, critical materials, tech, AI, and defense.
- Donald Trump threatened to impose heavy tariffs and viewed the proposal as a hostile act.
- Canada and the EU feel squeezed by the US and China.
- Any deal requires approval from all 27 EU member states.
Canada is exploring a closer relationship with the European Union, with Prime Minister Mark Carney proposing deeper cooperation and potentially associate membership. The move comes as both Canada and the EU feel increasingly pressured by global superpowers like the US and China, as well as by large technology companies.
Carney's proposal, made in a speech to the European Parliament, was met with warm reception and applause. He suggested that enhanced collaboration on energy, economic security, critical materials, technology, AI innovation, and defense would help safeguard all involved nations. The idea of associate membership, Carney stressed, is not about forming a third superpower or creating a bloc against any specific country, but rather about like-minded nations banding together to create a new form of multilateral global governance in a turbulent world.