Canada and the European Union announce new alliance

This week Canada hosted the Canada- EU Summit in Montréal, Québec. At the Summit, Prime Minister Mark Carney was joined by the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to launch the Alliance for the Future.

This new partnership will leverage the strategic capabilities of Canada, the EU, and a variable geometry of like-minded nations to address common issues.

Both Canada and the EU are also working towards the deepest possible partnership – short of accession – with Canada becoming the European Union’s first Associate Member.

Over the coming months, Canada and the EU will determine the substance, scale, and scope of this form of membership.

On Friday, the leaders announced more than twenty new measures meant to create greater affordability, opportunity, and sovereignty on both sides of the Atlantic and launched negotiations to deliver multiple others. 

This is not yet a done deal; in the coming months, Canada and the EU will study how best to connect Canada and Europe through secure digital infrastructure. This will include a new transatlantic data cable that would give Canada and Europe a direct, secure route for rapid data exchange.

Europe is the world’s second-largest economy, while Canada is an energy superpower.