The 21st Canada‑EU summit closed Friday in Montreal, Canada, with the launch of the "Alliance for the Future", a new partnership covering trade, digital economy, raw materials and other areas.
During the two‑day summit, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada is working toward becoming the EU’s first associate member. He added that the alliance will bring more choice and lower costs for families, new export markets for businesses, and greater opportunities for young people to live, work and study in Canada or the EU.
The alliance will focus on trade and regulatory cooperation; digital, research and communications technologies; critical raw materials and energy; financial services and markets; security and preparedness; and people‑to‑people exchanges.
A Canada‑EU Digital Trade Agreement was finalized during the summit. As Canada’s first agreement dedicated entirely to digital trade, it aims to reduce friction in online commerce, making it easier for businesses to sell goods and services.
Prime Minister Carney said:
Over the coming months, we will determine the substance, scale and scope of this form of membership.
The joint statement noted that by the 2027 EU‑Canada Summit the two sides will define an "ever‑closer association" of Canada to the EU, short of full membership.
In addition to the new agreements, the summit unveiled more than 20 initiatives that aim to strengthen cooperation across a range of sectors.
