Canada eyes ‘associate member’ status with EU amid US tensions, WSJ reports

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is exploring closer ties with the European Union, including becoming an "associate member" of the bloc, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The status does not currently exist, but the EU could be open to creating special membership arrangements, the newspaper said, citing unnamed EU and Canadian officials. The European Commission did not respond to a request for comment.

The report comes ahead of a speech by Carney to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday, where he is expected to set out his vision for Canada-EU ties in a challenging geopolitical environment.

Ottawa is locked in a historic trade war with the United States, with steep tariffs in place and no signs of de-escalation.

The EU and Canada want to bolster trade ties of goods, services and workers, particularly in areas including energy, artificial intelligence, defence and critical minerals, according to the report.

The two are also said to be discussing major joint projects, including undersea cables, data centres, cloud infrastructure and satellite networks. Canada also wants to expand energy exports to Europe, the WSJ said.

Still, securing any form of "associate member" status could prove difficult. The EU has strict rules on membership and a lengthy process for making changes to its existing arrangements.

Yet the impact of Trump's presidency, marked by tariffs and threats on both sides of the Atlantic, could encourage a more flexible approach.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier this year outlined his own vision for an "associate member" status, originally intended for Ukraine but potentially applicable to Canada. The model would deepen ties with the EU without requiring full membership.

Macron and Carney in joint visit

French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit the French territory of Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon next week, about 20 km off Canada's Atlantic coast, in a show of support for their close ties amid tensions with US President Donald Trump, Paris said on Sunday.

Trump posted an image on his Truth Social account on Monday showing a map of North America with the US flag over several French overseas territories, including Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon, as well as Guadeloupe and Martinique. The map also included Iceland, Greenland, Mexico, Canada, much of Central America and the Caribbean.

The visit will highlight the shared values of France and Canada, including "freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for the sovereignty of nations", the Elysee Palace said.

"In a world marked by the return of power politics, geopolitical tensions and new forms of dependency, France and Canada share a common ambition" to strengthen their ability to act independently, it added.

The visit will be the first by a Canadian prime minister to the archipelago, the French presidency said. The last French president to visit was Francois Hollande in 2014.