Carney Welcomes EU Associate Membership Proposal Amid Trump Threats

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed a proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for Canada to become the EU's first associate member.

Carney made the request during an official trip to the United Kingdom, visiting Brussels after meeting von der Leyen. He stated that closer ties with Europe would prevent any country from controlling Canada's markets or undermining its sovereignty. Carney's embrace of the proposal comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has called the idea a hostile act and threatened tariffs or a trade embargo against the EU.

Carney addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on September 17, 2026, emphasizing that an alliance with the EU would secure sovereignty and independence for Canada amid a downturn in U.S.-Canada relations. Canada has also applied to join the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a European military coalition formed in 2014, which aims to deter threats from Russia in areas around the North Sea, the wider North Atlantic-Arctic region, and the Baltic.

The JEF is led by the UK and headquartered in Northwood. The EU associate membership proposal does not currently exist in EU treaties, and its specific rights or obligations for Canada remain undefined. Some EU diplomats have described creating such a status as impossible without treaty changes. Canada and the U.S. have recently imposed tit-for-tat tariffs after trade talks failed, prompting Ottawa to seek diversification of its ties.