EU-Canada Summit 2026: Leaders mark a historic moment in bilateral relations

Summit and the idea of association

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with European Council President António Costa, took part in the EU-Canada Summit hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Montréal. The EU and Canada are determined to seize the unprecedented political momentum in their bilateral relation and build the closest possible partnership. As announced by President von der Leyen in her 2026 State of the Union speech, the Summit discussed the idea of Canada as an associate member of the EU with closer alignment on policies, programmes and governance. The President elaborated on this during her closing press conference with President Costa and Prime Minister Carney: "Our idea is simple. It is an 'association without accession'. Because EU Treaties are clear. A country outside Europe cannot join the EU. But we can replace the term accession with a 'common ambition and vision'. We can build a partnership that comes closer to membership than anything we have done before."

Alliance for the Future and its focus

During the Summit, the EU and Canada launched the Alliance for the Future, described by President von der Leyen as a common space for growth, prosperity, resilience and economic security. "The EU and Canada are sort of the nucleus," she said. The Alliance will focus on strategic sectors such as trade, digital, critical raw materials, energy, financial services, security, preparedness. People-to-people ties is another goal, which aims to expand cooperation under Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, allowing Europeans and Canadians to study, work, research and innovate together. In a speech to the C.D. Howe Institute the President said the association will be built on three pillars: "First, it means closer alignment on policies. We can work on everything, from AI and climate to energy or security. Second, it means closer alignment on governance. It means more work shared by the European Commission and the Canadian government. This cooperation could also entail: Parliament to Parliament, between our two parliaments, and Court to Court. And third, it means closer alignment in each other's programmes."

Summit deliverables and cooperation agreements

The Summit concluded with a set of deliverables underpinning the Alliance for the Future. The EU and Canada concluded negotiations for a Digital Trade Agreement, which will complement the success of CETA, the EU-Canada free trade agreement. An agreement between Canada and the European Investment Bank on investment in critical raw materials is also being finalised, expanding existing cooperation in this area. The President announced that the EU will open its supercomputers network to Canada, increasing opportunities for joint research and the common ambition to lead on innovative and trustworthy AI. Other agreements concluded include a modernised agreement on competition cooperation, an agreement on digital credentials, digital identity wallets and trust services, and agreements to explore cooperation opportunities on Galileo, IRIS 2, EU GOVSATCOM and Arctic connectivity. The EU and Canada also restated their unwavering support for Ukraine; Canada’s participation in the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan was noted. "Together we are stepping up our support for Ukraine," the President concluded.