Image source, Getty Images

While Prime Minister Mark Carney and key leaders in Europe appear to be in lockstep, some opposition politicians in Canada are critical of the prospect of becoming an EU "associate member".

Speaking before Carney's speech to the European Parliament, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says decisions for the country "must not be made in Washington, Beijing, or Brussels".

Poilievre voices his disapproval of a possible associate membership, or "unique alliance", saying that while Conservatives support free trade, and Nato co-operation with European allies, they reject any prospects of EU taxes, laws and open-border rules on immigration in Canada.

Meanwhile Adam Chambers, MP for Simcoe North in Ontario, told BBC News ahead of Carney's speech "it could be a concrete, meaningful proposal. Or it could be just words and vibes".

Chambers alluded to the existing Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement trade deal between the EU and Canada, highlighting that it is still waiting for ratification by multiple EU countries.

The path ahead will only become more treacherous for Carneypublished at 13:25 BST

13:25 BST

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney never mentioned Donald Trump by name in his speech to the EU lawmakers. He didn’t have to.

It was more than clear who he had in mind with his warnings of a "ferocious storm" in world affairs and economic integration being "weaponised" through tariffs and other financial mechanisms.

Just a day after the American president warned of the dire consequences of closer EU-Canadian economic relations, Carney pressed ahead undeterred.

"Canada and Europe are each strong," he said. "Europe and Canada are stronger together."

While Carney said such an alliance was not a means to dominate others or become a "great power with better manners", Trump – who holds a zero-sum view of global trade – is unlikely to see it that way.

Carney’s speech marks the latest step in a journey that began with his speech in Davos last year, as he pledged that Canada would not sacrifice its sovereignty in the face of US economic threats. Since then, he has tried to strengthen economic ties with Canada and other nations, without triggering a complete rupture with America.

It has been delicate balancing act for the Canadian PM. With Trump seemingly willing to ratchet up the economic pain on Canada with every step, the path ahead will only become more treacherous.

Jacob Phillips
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has told the European Parliament an alliance between Canada and the EU "would create a beacon for other democracies".

In a speech Carney said the response to the "current geopolitical rupture" must include a "new dimension" as he laid out several areas in which Canada and Europe could be closer.

The Canadian PM described deepening "people to people ties" including allowing young people to "work, study and live where they want on either side of the Atlantic".

It comes after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said yesterday she wanted to work on "opening the door" for Canada to become an "associate member," with Carney welcoming her ambition, and emphasising that his country is not seeking to become a full member of the EU.

There is a sense inside Canada that they need to make new friends abroad following gruelling tariffs from the US, says our Canada reporter.

Donald Trump may actually be the unlikely matchmaker in this situation, writes our Europe editor. But the US president has threatened "serious tariffs" if the proposals go ahead.

A summit in Montreal at the end of October will drill down the details of the alliance, Carney added.

Image source, Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney began his speech with a chuckle when he addressed the European Parliament a short while ago.

Listening back to the video footage, you can hear that was in response to someone in the room shouting: "USA, USA!"

The moment was followed by groans from the audience.

It is unclear who made the chant or their rationale behind it.

Since becoming prime minister in March 2025, Carney has taken a firm stance towards President Donald Trump on issues like trade.

Robin Levinson King
Canada reporter, Toronto

Image source, Getty Images

National pride has never been quite so high in Canada, a country that is usually much more subdued about flag-waving than their American neighbours to the south.

US President Donald Trump’s past comments about annexing Canada - and implementing gruelling tariffs - have made this large and diverse country band together in a way they have not outside of wartime.

And amidst that rise in patriotism is a sense that Canadians need to make new friends abroad.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s moves at the European Union - and his tough-on-Trump stance - has been overwhelmingly well-received across the political spectrum. Another rarity in a country that is no stranger to bitter political divides.

An Abacus Data survey, external conducted from 4 to 9 September suggests that 80% of Canadians believe the country should deepen strategic co-operation with the EU.

That same survey also suggests that 56% of Canadians approve of Carney’s government, up three points from two weeks before.

Image source, EBU

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is asked what role it will play in the alliance.

She says "we should not be afraid of novelties", and that the parliament discussing new ideas and ways of working with friends is normal.

Metsola calls the alliance a chance to strike closer ties with Canada, a country she says it already has a good relationship with - pointing to areas such as trade and student exchange programmes like Erasmus.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is asked whether it could stretch Canada's relationship with its southern neighbour, the US.

He does not respond directly, but says he is interested in new ideas and new perspectives.

The press conference has now ended.

Carney is asked again about Trump’s latest tariff threat.

"This alliance is a positive process, that’s my response to the American president," he says.

The Canadian prime minister adds: "A stronger, more resilient, more sovereign Canada would be a more effective partner with the United States - the same would go for the European Union."

This process, he says, would "bolster" the sovereignty of both Canada and the US.

"Canadians are united that nobody is going to tell us what language we speak, no-one is going to dictate our culture, or with whom we can strike agreements internationally," he says.

A reporter from Bloomberg asks Carney whether he feels comfortable with the idea of Canada becoming an EU "associate member", or if he prefers the concept of an "alliance of the future".

He's also asked for his response to US President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats.

• As a reminder, Trump said last night that if Canada becomes an EU associate member with "a bad intention" then the US will "put very heavy tariffs on Europe"

On the EU partnership, Carney says: "What matters is the substance."

"What are we actually building together, how do we combine our strengths in a way that serve our people better, protect our fundamental rights and create prosperity".

In answer to the second question, the Canadian PM seeks to reassure Trump that his country is "not in a position, nor seeking, to become a full member of the European Union, therefore it's a different framework".

Carney says the closer partnership between Europe and Canada is "not a reaction to something else", rather it is "moving to the future".

Image source, EBU

Mark Carney is now taking questions in a press conference alongside European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

He's asked if there will be a debate about any of the proposals in the Canadian parliament.

Carney says there will be a debate and a vote, but points out that the Canada-EU alliance is at the "start of a road".

He adds there have already been talks with special envoys, the presidents of the European Parliament and European Commission, as well as "informal discussions" with some European leaders.

Carney says there will be a summit in Montreal at the end of October where they will "drill down the details".

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has just finished addressing the European Parliament, in a speech where he emphasised that Europe and Canada are "stronger together".

Here's a recap:

• He spoke about the "current geopolitical rupture" and said a "new dimension was needed"
• He emphasised a close history between Canada and the EU, saying the two "do not pursue zero-sum deals" and are "not fair weather allies"
• Nodding to Donald Trump's threat of tariffs, he said "economic integration is now being weaponised, tariffs being used to exert pressure" and financial mechanisms "used for coersion"
• He welcomed Ursula von der Leyen's comments yesterday - in which she opened the door for Canada to become the EU's first "associate member" - calling it a "unique, positive approach that we will define together"

He's now holding a press conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola - watch live at the top of the page.

Image source, EBU

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he wants "to be precise about what I'm not proposing".

Carney says he is not proposing what he refers to as "a third bloc", in order to become "a great power rival only with better manners".

He adds: "We do not seek power to dominate others."

Canada and the EU are "pursuing resilience", he says, so no one can control its open markets or impair its sovereignty.

"A Canada-EU alliance would create a beacon for other democracies," Carney continues, adding that the alliance would be defined by what it opposes and what it stands for - listing freedom, solidarity and sustainability.

He finishes his address by saying it is time to deepen roots and "grow a transatlantic forest under which our citizens can flourish as free people on free ground every single day".

Carney's speech has now finished - we'll recap the key lines for you shortly.

Image source, EBU

The Canadian prime minister continues to outline what he sees the future relationship between his country and the EU looking like.

He talks about deepening "people to people ties" - including through allowing young people to "work, study and live where they want on either side of the Atlantic".

He says Canadian membership of the Erasmus+ programme would "give your students and ours more opportunity".

Carney adds that Canada can support on areas like energy, contributing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen "at large scale to support Europe's energy security".

Canada in turn can benefit from European leadership on clean energy technologies, he adds, and talks about pooling technological resources to "build more secure broadband connections between Europe and Asia via our common geography".

"Deepening and widening our relationship will strengthen our sovereignty and improve affordability, opportunity and security for our citizens," he says.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Mark Carney refers to European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, opening the door for Canada to become the European Union's first "associate member" in a speech yesterday.

He says: "Canada welcomes this ambition".

Continuing, Carney says: "An alliance for the future is a unique, positive approach that we will define together."

He goes on to outline what Canada proposes the partnership to look like, saying the two should "secure our strategic autonomy through deep co-operation, in the full range of strategic capabilities - including critical minerals".

Image source, EBU

Carney says that Canada and the EU can form a protective canopy under which their citizens can thrive.

"This is about sovereignty - our ability to live as we wish," he says. "It's about freedoms we must fight for everyday."

He says sovereignty requires resilience - and goes beyond the ability to feed, fuel and defend oneself. It requires access to things technology and critical minerals, he adds.

"We all have important gaps in these strategic capabilities," which countries rely on individual countries or nations to fill.

This, Carney says, "creates vulnerabilities" - and "closing these gaps is not possible alone but very achievable collectively."

He adds: "Canada and Europe are each strong. Europe and Canada are stronger together."

Image source, EBU

Continuing his address to the European Parliament, Carney says today our societies are being "battered by new storms" - including climate change, "the erosion of democratic norms [and] the weaponisation of trade".

The Canadian prime minister - nodding to US President Donald Trump's use of tariffs - says: "Economic integration is now being weaponised, tariffs being used to exert pressure.

"Financial mechanisms have been used for coercion. Supply chains constitute weak points to be exploited."

Carney says Canada and the EU have bonds "deeply rooted in our lands", and speaks about the shared history between Canada and Europe.

The Canadian prime minister lists off things he says were "carried back and forth across the Atlantic for centuries" - including seeds, values, ideas and trade.

Carney adds that Canada and the EU "are not fair weather allies, we do not pursue zero-sum deals".

He says both share the "same unwavering dedication" to the rule of law, human dignity, individual freedom and democracy.

He adds that a "strong economy is not an end in itself but a means to a just society".

Image source, EBU

Mark Carney begins his address to the European Parliament.

Delivering his opening remarks in French, he thanks the parliament for the honour of allowing him to addressing them.

The Canadian prime minister says he is going to speak today about how the response to the "current geopolitical rupture" must include a "new dimension".

Image source, EBU

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has just walked into the chamber at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where he'll shortly address members.

Afterwards Carney will hold a press conference alongside European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

We'll bring you all the key moments here, and you can watch live at the top of the page.

Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

There has been a lot of discussion in recent days about the future of Canada's relationship with the European Union.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Sunday that Canada was seeking a "unique alliance" with the bloc. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said yesterday she wanted to work on "opening the door" for Canada to become an "associate member".

It's not clear what exactly the future relationship would look like - the "associate member" status doesn't currently exist and, if agreed, could take years to implement - but it's clear both are seeking closer ties.

As our Europe editor, Katya Adler, writes, US President Donald Trump is the unintentional matchmaker here.

The relationship between Canada and the US - often seen as the closest of partners - has soured in recent months, with an ongoing trade dispute between the neighbours.

Speaking to reporters last night, Trump called the prospect of Canada becoming an associate member of the EU "laughable", and threatened to impose "very serious tariffs" on Europe if he interprets any move as happening with "a bad intention".

We should hear more shortly, with Carney due to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg from around 11:30 local time (10:30 BST). You'll be able to watch live at the top of the page.

Getting agreement on Canada's 'associate membership' from all EU states will be toughpublished at 09:50 BST

09:50 BST

Katya Adler
Europe editor

"Associate membership" of the EU is what the European Commission president has offered Canada but - and it’s a big but - it can only be signed off if all 27 EU member states agree.

And that will be tough.

Germany’s proposal to offer associate membership to Ukraine, which longs to be under the EU umbrella, was rejected by other countries in the bloc back in May.

Objections are manifold - some feel it’s unfair to create a special status for 'political expedience' for Canada or Ukraine when others like Macedonia or Bosnia have been queuing up for years to join.

Others fear a possible backlash from US President Donald Trump - even new tariffs, as he suggested last night - if they hug Canada too tight.