Canada isn't looking to join EU, Carney says, but still wants closer ties

Jessica Mundie · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 25, 2025 4:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada is "looking for a person partnership" with the European Union — but not to go a member.

While speaking from the NATO acme successful the Netherlands — wherever he announced Canada's committedness to walk 5 per cent of gross home merchandise connected defence by 2035 — Carney was asked whether helium has fixed immoderate thought to trying to articulation the bloc of European nations.

"The abbreviated reply is no," helium said. "That's not the intent. That's not the pathway we're on."

WATCH | No plans for EU membership, says Carney: 

"We co-operate overmuch much intelligibly and broadly to our communal benefit," helium said. "Not arsenic a member, but on that continuum."

Defence partnership

These comments travel days aft Carney took steps to gully Canada person to Europe. On Monday, helium signed a strategical defence and information concern with the EU — seen arsenic a determination toward making Canada little reliant connected the United States.

A associated EU/Canada connection says the 2 parties agreed to a "new ambitious and broad partnership" to "promote shared prosperity, antiauthoritarian values, bid and security" that goes good beyond information co-operation.

To bash that, the connection says, Canada and the EU launched a process that "will determination Canada and the EU person together" connected a fig of fronts specified arsenic trade, proviso chains, aligning regulations, artificial intelligence, clime change, justness and planetary situation effect connected apical of information and defence.

From the NATO summit, Carney reiterated immoderate of those values that helium says marque Canada "the astir European of non-European nations" — a enactment helium has repeated since becoming premier minister.

He highlighted Canada and the EU's shared values of "liberty" and "democracy" arsenic good arsenic the value the 2 parties enactment connected "solidarity" and "sustainability."

First travel arsenic PM

The premier curate made his tendency to enactment much intimately with Europe wide from the commencement of his mandate.

Just days aft being sworn into office, Carney headed connected his archetypal planetary travel to France and the United Kingdom.

WATCH | Carney comments connected European allies during archetypal overseas trip: 

Before a gathering with French President Emmanuel Macron during that travel successful March, Carney said successful French that "it is much important than ever for Canada to fortify its ties with its reliable allies, specified arsenic France." 

He said France "shares our values and lives them done action, during this property of economical and geopolitical crisis."

"We are receiving you and welcoming you arsenic a person with large joy," Macron said of Canada during Carney's visit, highlighting some countries' ambitions for the "fair commercialized and extortion of the planet."

That trip — meant to question enactment from 2 of Canada's oldest allies — came arsenic U.S. President Donald Trump was continuing to onslaught Canada's sovereignty and economy.

The president had already imposed tariffs connected immoderate Canadian products and was threatening much — each while repeatedly stating his tendency for Canada to go the 51st state. 

The 2 countries are presently successful negotiations to region tariffs and counter-tariffs.