OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada is not seeking membership in the European Union, hours after The Wall Street Journal reported his government is pushing for a new “associate member” relationship with the 27-country bloc.Carney was asked about the report Sunday evening while attending the Toronto International Film Festival awards. .“Look, we're not looking to become a member of the European Union,” Carney said.“What we are looking — and beginning — we'll begin discussions for a unique alliance with the European Union between Canada and the European Union.”The comments are Carney's first public response to the Journal report, which said he has been discussing a closer relationship with European leaders that could give Canada deeper access to the EU's $21-trillion single market.Carney did not dispute that talks on a new arrangement are being pursued, but described the goal as a “unique alliance” rather than membership.“We share the same values, we have the same priorities, and we have very complementary strengths,” Carney said.“We're stronger together, and this is at a time where the world's more dangerous and divided and friends need to stick together these times.”.The Journal reported Sunday that Carney has floated the idea of Canada becoming an “associate member” of the EU, although no such formal category currently exists and one would have to be created.Canadian and European officials have discussed reducing barriers to the movement of goods, services and workers in strategic sectors including defence, energy, artificial intelligence and critical minerals, according to the Journal.The discussions have also included possible joint infrastructure projects involving undersea cables, data centres and satellite networks.Carney has reportedly discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron ways to make it easier for Canadians to live and work in Europe.The talks come as the Carney government tries to diversify Canada's trade away from its heavy dependence on the United States amid an ongoing tariff dispute with President Donald Trump's administration.Canada has already moved closer to Europe on defence.Ottawa and the EU signed a Security and Defence Partnership in June 2025, and Canada has since joined the EU's Security Action for Europe, or SAFE, defence financing initiative as its first non-European participant.As previously reported by the Western Standard, Canadian defence exports to Europe increased 56% over the last year.Canada also sent nearly 500 delegates and more than 200 organizations to a major defence exhibition in Poland last week, the largest defence and security business mission the country has sent abroad.International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said during the trip that growing Canada's defence industry would help “diversify our trade.”Carney's European push has contrasted somewhat with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's approach to the Canada-U.S. trade dispute.During a visit to New York last week, Poilievre told CNBC that Canada should continue expanding into overseas markets but argued the immediate priority should be restoring tariff-free trade with the United States.“I think what needs to happen next is we need to get back to tariff-free trade in both directions,” Poilievre said.“Canada is beginning to further diversify its trade to overseas markets. And that is going to be necessary now, regardless of what the administration does.”Carney will have an opportunity to make his case directly to European lawmakers this week.He is scheduled to travel to Strasbourg and Liverpool from September 15 to 17, including an address to the European Parliament and a meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.Carney is also scheduled to meet Macron in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon on September 20.
