Mark Carney says “deepest possible partnership short of accession” on Canada‑EU ties

At a Montreal summit on Thursday and Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa and the European Union hope to finalize a new associate-status agreement in about seven months, contingent on negotiations succeeding. The two sides issued a joint statement pledging to define by a 2027 summit a tighter Canada-EU link that would not amount to joining the bloc, but the document did not adopt the associate-member label. Member states including Germany have pushed back, viewing that status as a possible route to permanent EU membership for countries such as Ukraine. Experts said the 27-nation bloc is not unified on the idea and that elections in several member states could affect talks. Carney said he is not attached to the label and cares more about closer economic and defense ties.