LILLEY: Canada joining the EU would cost us our sovereignty

Calls for Canada to join the EU are gaining traction, but the economic and sovereignty trade-offs could be severe

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Published Apr 15, 2026  •  3 minute read

Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives for the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris, at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. Photo by YOAN VALAT / POOL / AFP /Getty Images

It feels like there is a campaign underway to get Canada to join the European Union. We have polls and news stories pushing the idea, and politicians seemingly regularly commenting on how or if it could happen.

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It’s an utterly ridiculous idea that would see Canada surrender more sovereignty than we would in any trade deal with the Americans. To the smart set, though, the people who allow Donald Trump to occupy every corner of their brains, joining the EU is the antidote to Trump.

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Canada joining the EU becomes a recurring talking point

During his visit to Ottawa, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told CBC News during an interview that he could see Canada joining the EU.

“I think Canada in terms of its whole composure, its value base, is so close to the European Union that the least we can do is to forge a really close strategic partnership,” Stubb told CBC.

“I can envisage a much larger EU, whether Canada is a part of it or not is up to Canada to decide.”

Just last month, it was France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot musing about Canada becoming part of the EU.

And of course, we all remember Prime Minister Mark Carney’s comments at the start Canada-EU summit in June last year.

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“As the most European of the non-European countries Canada looks first to the European Union to build a better world,” Carney said.

Carney, of course, once appeared on stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos and said to the panel he was part of, “Speaking as a European.” When that comment drew puzzled looks, Carney pointed to his Irish and British citizenship.

He renounced those citizenships before becoming PM, but his fondness for all things European remains.

Poll suggests growing support tied to Trump concerns

Looking at the polls, it seems a great many Canadians think joining the EU is the cure Canada needs. A poll released last week from Nanos Research showed that shows that 57% of respondents would either support or somewhat support the idea of Canada becoming “a full member of the European Union.”

All of this is being driven by Trump, his tariffs on Canada and his threats both real and perceived on Canadian sovereignty. I understand the concerns of those who want to see Canada remain a strong, vibrant, independent and sovereign country.

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I’m not a fan of Canada becoming America’s 51st state.

Neither, though, am I in favour of Canada becoming the European Union’s 28th state.

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EU membership would mean a loss of Canadian sovereignty

Simply put, joining the European Union would see Canadians give up decision-making power to the EU. Instead of decisions being made by elected officials in Ottawa, they would be made by bureaucrats in Brussels.

If Canada became a full member of the EU, we would need to give up the Bank of Canada and hand over decisions about monetary policy, including setting interest rates to the Brussel bureaucrats. While the federal government could still devise our national budget, that budget would be subject to oversight by EU officials, meaning they would have final say.

Trade agreements would be rewritten under EU control

Canada currently has free-trade agreements that cover 51 different countries. If you remove the 27 EU countries, our remaining trade agreements cover 24 other countries.

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Were Canada to join the EU those trade agreements, negotiated by Canadians with Canadian priorities in mind would become null and void. All external trade agreements are negotiated by the EU as a whole.

Canadian law would be subordinate to EU courts

Canadian law would be replaced by EU law; EU court decisions would supersede Canadian court decision and the Supreme Court in Ottawa would either disband or start answering to and being subject to the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.

Loss of authority over agriculture, fisheries, immigration and asylum policies

Canada would lose authority over agriculture and fisheries rules, our immigration and asylum policies would have to mirror EU policies, we would also lose the ability to independently regulate consumer goods or professional standards.

Joining the EU would end Canada’s independence

In essence, joining the EU would mean the end of an independent Canada.

It’s odd that this is the reaction from people who decided they clearly didn’t want to surrender any independence to the United States.

Joining the EU may sound good to some, in practice it’s a horrible idea that should be dropped.

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