OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the possibility of Canada becoming the European Union’s first associate member Thursday, proposing freer movement for young people, seamless digital trade and closer integration across defence, energy, finance and technology.Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Carney said Canada and Europe should build an “alliance for the future” strong enough to protect their sovereignty from countries and corporations seeking to weaponize trade, finance, technology and supply chains.“Yesterday, President von der Leyen spoke of moving beyond CETA to an alliance for the future, opening the door to Canada becoming the European Union’s first associate member,” Carney said. “We in Canada welcome this ambition.”Carney said polling shows an “overwhelming majority” of Canadians support much closer ties with Europe.“An alliance for the future is a unique, positive approach that we will define together, building on our common strengths and based on our shared values,” he said.Carney proposed allowing young Canadians and Europeans to work, study and live on either side of the Atlantic.Canadian participation in the EU’s Erasmus+ student-exchange program would give students greater access to universities overseas, he said, while participation in the next generation of the Horizon research program would allow institutions to pool resources and work together on emerging technologies..Carney also called for Canada and Europe to move toward seamless digital trade in non-agricultural goods and services and consider an integrated financial-services market.The proposed alliance would include deeper co-operation in critical minerals, defence manufacturing, artificial intelligence, computing capacity, energy security, space technology and payment systems.“Sovereignty today goes beyond being able to feed, fuel and defend ourselves,” Carney said. “It now requires secure access to AI, semiconductors, critical minerals, payment systems, clean-energy technologies, vaccines and space communications.”“Closing these gaps is not possible alone, but it is very achievable collectively. Canada and Europe are each strong. Europe and Canada are stronger together.”Carney said Canada could supply Europe with critical minerals, liquefied natural gas and hydrogen while benefiting from European manufacturing and clean-energy technology.Canada has deposits of more than 30 critical minerals and could help Europe secure materials needed for electric vehicles, computer chips, batteries and defence production, he said.“Canada can contribute LNG and hydrogen at large scale to support Europe’s energy security, including by developing new port infrastructure in our High North and on our East Coast,” Carney said.The speech came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that he could consider Canadian associate membership in the EU a “hostile act.”Trump threatened to impose “very serious tariffs” or stop trading with Europe in certain sectors if he concluded the proposal was directed against the United States.Carney did not name Trump but repeatedly criticized the weaponization of economic integration.“Tariffs are being used to exert pressure. Financial mechanisms are being used for coercion. Supply chains constitute weak points to be exploited,” he said.“This combination is a ferocious storm. A single tree will come down in it. A forest will not.”Carney said the proposed alliance would not become a new power bloc seeking to compete for global domination.“I’m not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great-power rival, only with better manners,” he said.“We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so no one — no one — can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity or undermine our freedoms, our democracies and our rule of law.”No formal definition currently exists for EU associate membership. Canada and European officials have not established what rules, financial obligations or market access would accompany the status.Carney said the ultimate objective was an alliance “strong enough so that no one can dictate our choices” and open enough for other democracies to join.
