Carney says Canada-EU visa talks are "a unique alliance between Canada and the European Union"

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has discussed with European Union leaders, most often French President Emmanuel Macron, allowing Canadians to relocate and live in the bloc without visas, according to two officials cited by The Wall Street Journal and reported by IMI Daily. The talks reportedly form part of a broader effort to create an affiliated status for Canada that EU rules currently do not allow. At the Toronto International Film Festival, Carney told reporters Canada is not seeking EU membership and described the aim as a distinct partnership rooted in common principles. Experts cited in the report called the idea politically notable but speculative, with limited, sector-based access more likely than broad rights. Carney is scheduled to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg in September 2026 before a Canada-EU summit in Ottawa that October.