Carney pushes for closer Canada-EU ties at Montreal summit after 'associate member' label is dropped

Mark Carney is hosting EU leaders at a two-day Montreal summit and pressing for deeper economic and defence ties, after EU member states including Germany, France and Greece objected to the 'associate member' label before talks had even begun. The joint declaration, due at the summit's close, now promises "an ever closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself," with a formal definition deferred to a 2027 summit. Carney has played down the terminology row, telling reporters the substance matters more than the label.

Von der Leyen had surprised EU capitals last month by proposing Canada become the first-ever 'associate member' in her State of the Union address.

The climbdown was triggered by legal uncertainty over what 'associate membership' would mean — including whether Canada could join EU legislative or decision-making bodies.

The push for closer Canada-EU ties follows Trump's tariff war and his repeated talk of absorbing Canada as a '51st state'.