Canada aims to become EU's first 'associate member' by June 2027, Carney says

At a bilateral summit in Montreal, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada and the European Union will aim to conclude negotiations on a new form of closer partnership by June next year. Carney has described it as an associate membership, a status that currently does not exist in EU treaties. The idea is to bring Canada and the EU closer on policy, programs and governance, although the details still need to be worked out. Germany has strongly opposed the term associate member, and the summit's final declaration instead referred to an even closer association. The European Commission and Canadian government will hold further talks in the spring. Carney is then expected to attend an EU leaders' summit in June when he hopes the negotiations can be concluded.