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Carney says Canada wants to be 'associate member' of the European Union

  • David Baxter

    David Baxter

  • Canadian Press

  • October 29, 2026

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen delivers remarks ahead of the EU-Canada summit in Montreal on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada is working to become an "associate member" of the European Union, after largely avoiding that term.

Carney is hosting the EU's two leaders in Montreal for a summit aimed at what he had been referring to as an "alliance for the future."

Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that Canada become an associate EU member, a term that does not currently exist.

Canadian and European officials immediately downplayed that phrasing, which has been rejected outright by EU member nations such as Germany.

Several European news agencies reported this week that the idea of associate membership was off the table, but von der Leyen repeated the phrase in Montreal.

At a gathering of business leaders, Carney said the EU and Canada have "a common mission" to forge a new alliance "with Canada as an associate member."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2026.

-- With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa