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Canada and the European Union have agreed to pursue “ever closer association” but dropped the divisive concept of associate EU membership from their joint summit declaration. The decision came ahead of a Montreal summit hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which began on Thursday. Reuters obtained the declaration before officials planned to release it publicly on Friday.
Associate Membership Idea Abandoned After EU Divisions
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first proposed associate membership for Canada roughly six weeks ago. However, the idea quickly became a sticking point in negotiations among EU member states. Germany led a group of countries that objected, arguing the concept had no legal basis and lacked any clear definition. Diplomats confirmed that no legal precedent exists for EU associate membership.
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Earlier drafts of the declaration had included at least two references to Canada as an associate member. The final version removed those references entirely. Instead, the declaration states that work to define the Canada-EU relationship will continue until a follow-up summit next year. Carney told reporters on Tuesday that the current summit marks the start of formal negotiations, not the end. “What matters is the difference it will make to the lives of Canadians,” he said.
Canada Seeks Closer Ties to Reduce US Dependence
Strengthening ties with Europe forms a central part of Carney’s broader strategy. He wants to reduce Canada’s economic and security reliance on the United States after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods. However, Canada’s push toward the EU risks irritating Trump while trade talks between Ottawa and Washington remain ongoing.
Trump previously dismissed the EU’s associate membership proposal as “laughable.” He also warned that if he viewed the move as a “hostile act,” the US might halt trade with Europe across multiple sectors. Despite this, Canada and the EU pressed ahead with their summit declaration, which includes several concrete initiatives. These include a joint feasibility study on Canadian liquefied natural gas exports to Europe, a new subsea cable infrastructure project to improve connectivity between Europe, Canada and Asia, and a program to allow young Canadians and Europeans to work across the Atlantic.
Critics and Lawyers Raise Concerns
Not everyone views the summit positively. Julian Karaguesian, a former adviser at Canada’s Finance Ministry, described it as “a bit of a show.” He said Canada’s effort to build closer ties with the EU remains “very ill-defined.” He also noted that deeper EU collaboration may not meaningfully address Carney’s goal of diversifying Canada’s trade relationships. Currently, Canada sends nearly 70% of its exports to the US, while the EU accounts for only about 9% of Canada’s total trade.
International trade lawyer Barry Appleton raised sharper concerns about the declaration’s language. The statement commits Canada and the EU to a rules-based international order and expresses that both sides “deeply regret” US sanctions on the International Criminal Court, which is based in the Netherlands. Appleton said the multilateral language amounts to “sticking a finger into President Trump’s eye.” He also warned that the declaration’s commitment to aligning Canadian AI and digital rules with European standards could anger Washington, which views EU-style digital regulation as a trade barrier. “This is a highly provocative statement from the EU and Canada,” Appleton said.
Meanwhile, EU officials called the summit a “historic milestone” at a briefing on Tuesday. They said all member states support the closest possible relationship with Canada. The White House, responding to a request for comment, said US and Canadian trade officials are currently in talks. Carney’s office declined to comment.
