Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Strasbourg, becoming the first foreign head of government to attend the European Commission president’s State of the Union address as Canada seeks to strengthen ties with Europe amid growing tensions with the US.
Carney is scheduled to address the European Parliament, where he is expected to outline his vision for what he describes as a “unique alliance” between Canada and the European Union.
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The visit comes as Canada seeks to diversify its international trade and reduce its dependence on the US market.
Carney has pledged to double Canada’s non-US trade over the next decade, as relations with Washington have become increasingly strained amid an ongoing trade dispute and repeated threats by the US President Donald Trump concerning Canada’s sovereignty.
Seven EU diplomats in Canada and Europe indicated that discussions are underway to expand cooperation between Canada and the European Union across areas including trade, defense, and digital security. However, the diplomats said there has been no high-level discussion of a specific framework for a broader Canadian-EU relationship.
Carney said that more detailed discussions on strengthening ties would begin at the Canada-EU summit scheduled to take place in Montreal in late October.
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The Canadian government has increasingly emphasized Europe as an important economic and strategic partner. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand told Reuters that the relationship with the EU has grown significantly closer, particularly over the past 18 months.
“Our relationship with the EU has become increasingly close, especially over the past year and a half,” Anand says, adding that the EU offers both shared values and shared economic interests.
Carney’s European visit is expected to highlight Canada’s efforts to deepen international partnerships while expanding trade, security cooperation, and strategic engagement beyond its traditional reliance on the US.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Carney proposed to European leaders that Canada could be an "associate member" of the EU. Four EU diplomats in Canada stated that EU membership for Canada is unfeasible, pointing out the geographic limitations and the legal consequences that come with being part of the union.
Major barriers still exist to increasing trade. Mark Manger, a political economy and global affairs professor at the University of Toronto, stated that EU officials have expressed frustration with Canada’s unwillingness to open up two heavily protected industries: telecommunications and dairy.
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Anand Sundar, special advisor to the director at the European Council on Foreign Relations, stated that officials are developing proposals for a distinctive relationship between Canada and the EU akin to agreements the EU holds with other non-EU nations.
Four European diplomats noted that although many of their leaders have been privately taken aback by Trump's verbal assaults on Canada, most are reluctant to openly support Carney's more confrontational stance in trade discussions with the US, worried that the president could then target Europe.