Canada and EU launch ‘Alliance for the Future,’ seeking closer ties

Prime Minister Mark Carney (C), European Council President António Costa (L) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) arrive during the welcome ceremony at the 21st EU-Canada summit in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on October 30, 2026. Squeezed by the United States and China, the European Union and Canada are set to unveil Friday a series of deals -- from critical minerals to artificial intelligence -- designed to boost their ties to an unprecedented level. EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa will meet with Canada's Mark Carney in Montreal on the second day of a summit that also features talks between Canadian ministers and senior EU officials. Photo by ALEXIS AUBIN /AFP via Getty Images

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MONTREAL — Canada might not yet become the first “associate member” of the European Union, but in the meantime, both parties have agreed to launch the “Canada EU Alliance for the Future” that seeks to build a closer ties.

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This initiative unveiled on Friday, on the second day of the Canada-EU meeting in Montreal, includes a broad range of sectors where both parties will seek a deeper and more integrated cooperation.

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Those include trade and regulatory cooperation; digital, research and communications technologies; critical raw materials and energy; financial services and markets; security and preparedness, as well as people-to-people relations.

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“By strengthening economic ties, reducing shared vulnerabilities, and building resilient supply chains, Canada and the EU will be better equipped to address shared global challenges and support sustainable growth,” reads the joint declaration.

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“These efforts will complement our relationships with like-minded partners and reinforce the democratic values, economic openness, and shared security interests that underpin our cooperation,” it adds.

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The declaration goes on to say that the “Alliance for the Future” will based on the “principle of reciprocity in industrial sectors” and that it will be anchored in “a more active foreign and security policy partnership.”

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In a press conference, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada is still working “towards the deepest possible partnership, short of accession” with Canada becoming the European Union’s first associate member.

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“In the coming months, we will determine the full substance, scale, and scope of this new form of membership,” he said.

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