Canada welcomes EU proposal to become 'associate member'

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the European Union's ambition for Canada to go its first "associate member", calling for person practice connected defence, captious minerals and power security.

Carney told the European Parliament successful Strasbourg connected Thursday that Canada and Europe were "stronger together" successful the look of "geopolitical rupture".

His comments came a time aft European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen projected "opening the door" to Canada's subordinate membership, a position that does not presently exist.

US President Donald Trump earlier called the thought "laughable" and threatened "very superior tariffs" connected Europe if he considered it a "hostile act".

"Today our societies are being battered by caller storms," Carney said during his address, naming them arsenic ambiance change, "the erosion of antiauthoritarian norms" and the "weaponisation of trade".

"Economic integration is now being weaponised, tariffs being utilized to exert pressure," he said.

"Financial mechanisms person been utilized for coercion. Supply chains represent anemic points to beryllium exploited."

He said a Canada-EU confederation would create a "beacon for different democracies", while stressing the 2 sides were not seeking to shape a caller powerfulness bloc.

"I americium not proposing a 3rd bloc successful bid to go a great-power rival - only pinch amended manners," he told MEPs.

"This is astir sovereignty, our expertise to unrecorded arsenic we wish. We do not activity powerfulness to predominate others."

Asked astir the connection connected Wednesday, Trump told reporters: "If I deliberation it's astatine each a dispute act, I will put very superior tariffs aliases extremity trading pinch Europe, connected galore things.

"If it's a bully intention, that's fine. If it's a bad intention, we'll put very dense tariffs connected Europe, which is simply a possibility."

Responding to Trump's comments astatine a property convention pursuing his address, Carney said: "This confederation is simply a affirmative process, that's my consequence to the American president."

"Canadians are agreed that cipher is going to show america what connection we speak, no-one is going to dictate our culture, aliases pinch whom we tin onslaught agreements internationally," he added.

Carney said Canada was "not successful a position, nor seeking, to go a afloat personnel of the European Union", describing the connection arsenic a "different framework".

Speaking astatine the European Parliament connected Wednesday, von der Leyen said she wanted Canada to go the EU's first subordinate member, pinch person practice successful areas specified arsenic manufacturing, technology, defence, power captious minerals and economical security.

It is unclear precisely what that narration would look for illustration because the "associate member" position does not presently beryllium wrong the EU and could return years to implement.

Any caller statement would require the statement of each 27 EU personnel states, pinch immoderate governments having antecedently expressed reservations astir creating a caller shape of membership.

The EU and Canada already person a free-trade agreement, and cooperate successful areas including trade, defence and research.

In his address, Carney said Canada and Europe could fortify their "strategic autonomy" done "deep co-operation successful the afloat scope of strategical capabilities, including captious minerals".

He said Canada could proviso liquefied earthy state and hydrogen to support European power security, while benefiting from Europe's expertise successful clean-energy technologies.

He besides projected pooling technological resources and deepening "people to group ties", including allowing young group to "work, study and unrecorded wherever they want connected either broadside of the Atlantic" done Canada joining the EU's Erasmus+ programme.

Carney described the projected narration arsenic "a unique, affirmative attack that we will specify together".

He added that location would beryllium a statement and a ballot successful the Canadian parliament connected the proposals, but emphasised the 2 sides were still astatine the "start of a road".

A Canada-EU acme is owed to return spot successful Montreal astatine the extremity of October, wherever Carney said they would "drill down the details".