France backs deeper EU-Canada ties as associate membership proposal gains attention
France has expressed support for strengthening relations between the European Union and Canada, while stressing that any proposal concerning a new form of partnership should be carefully examined before Paris adopts a final position.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Thursday that closer ties with Canada were a natural development, following a proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to explore the possibility of making Canada the EU’s first associate member. Barrot indicated that the idea would require further discussion and analysis before France reaches a definitive conclusion.
French Minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad has also described closer relations with Canada as a positive idea, while noting that the precise framework and status of such an arrangement remain to be determined.
Von der Leyen introduced the proposal on Wednesday during her annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She called for the EU and Canada to take their existing relationship to a higher level, pointing to shared interests in areas including trade, defence, energy, critical raw materials, technology and artificial intelligence.
The European Commission president presented the proposed partnership as part of a broader effort to build stronger international alliances. She said the EU and Canada share democratic values and common interests, and outlined plans for closer cooperation ranging from industrial and technological projects to energy security and Arctic initiatives.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who attended the European Parliament session, has also called for a closer strategic relationship between Canada and Europe. In a speech on Thursday, he highlighted potential cooperation in critical minerals, artificial intelligence, defence, energy and digital trade, while supporting the broader objective of strengthening Canada-EU ties.
The initiative comes as Canada and the EU seek to expand their economic and strategic cooperation. Their existing relationship is partly based on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, known as CETA, which has significantly increased bilateral trade since its provisional application began in 2017. The European Commission has also identified cooperation with Canada in areas such as clean technology, supply chains and strategic resources as part of its broader international partnership agenda.
However, the idea of associate membership is still at an early stage. EU diplomats have raised questions about what such a status would involve and how it would fit within the bloc's existing legal and institutional framework. The proposal would therefore require further political discussions among EU member states before any concrete arrangement could emerge.
The initiative has also attracted attention in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the proposal and warned of possible trade consequences, while Canadian officials have emphasized Canada's right to determine its own international partnerships. The European Commission has said the proposed relationship with Canada is intended to strengthen cooperation rather than target another country.
For France, the immediate position remains focused on examining the proposal while supporting the broader objective of closer European-Canadian relations. The coming discussions are expected to clarify what an eventual associate-member framework could mean for trade, security, technology and other areas of cooperation between Canada and the European Union.
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