EU set to define Canada's associate membership next year, signs agreements at Montreal summit

Carney first pushed the concept of associate EU membership in September, amid the country's escalating trade war with the US, which has made its pivot toward other trade partners more urgent.

The European Union set a deadline on Friday to fully define Canada's pending associate membership to the 27-member bloc next year as the sides met at a summit in Montreal, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"Our societies are being shaken by new storms: the upheaval caused by climate change, the erosion of democratic norms, the weaponization of trade," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said at a news conference after the summit. "In the coming months we will determine the full substance, scale and scope of this new form of membership."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged the limitations of a Canadian associate membership, but said at the summit that she wanted to strengthen EU-Canada relations.

"Canada cannot become a full-fledged member of the EU because of geography," she said on Thursday. "But we want to bring our relationship to the highest level possible."

According to the report, Canada and the EU signed several new agreements during the summit, including those on investment, digital trade, competition, supercomputing, and border security.

Push for Canadian associate EU membership initiated by escalating US trade war

Carney first pushed the concept of associate EU membership in September, amid the country's escalating trade war with the United States, which has added urgency to its strategic pivot towards other trading partners.

Canada-US relations have sharply deteriorated since the start of US President Donald Trump's second term, with a trade spat between the two countries leading to Trump imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.