Carney backs plan to make Canada the EU's first associate member

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney told the European Parliament that Canada welcomes a plan to make it the European Union's first associate member. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, proposed it. But US President Donald Trump called it "laughable" and threatened heavy tariffs on Europe if he judged it a hostile act.

An associate member is a country that works with the EU but is not a full member. It does not exist in EU rules. It would need the agreement of all 27 EU member states and could take years. Now the EU and Canada want an "alliance for the future".

Carney said the plan is not about building a rival power group. "We are stronger together," he said. He said tariffs were being used as pressure. This matters because Canada sends about 70 percent of its exports to the United States, so Trump's tariffs leave it exposed. Canada has taken action in return, but Europe decided not to answer and accepted tariffs of up to 15 percent on most EU exports. Carney said Canada is not asking to become a full EU member.

Trump warned of "very serious tariffs" on Europe, or stopping trade "on many things", if he sees the plan as hostile. A Canada-EU summit in Montreal on 29 and 30 October will discuss details. Canada's parliament will debate and vote later. For Carney, the goal is resilience, so no one can control Canada's markets or hurt its sovereignty.