Carney to address European Parliament on EU ties

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will address the European Parliament in Strasbourg this morning to set out his vision of a closer relationship between Canada and the European Union.

During her State of the Union speech yesterday, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen suggested that Canada could become an associate member of the EU.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut trade with the European Union over the prospect of Canada becoming the first associate member.

"If they do that, if I think it's at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe, on many things.

"If it's a good intention, that's fine. If it's a bad intention, we'll put very heavy tariffs on Europe, which is a possibility," Mr Trump added.

Canada and Europe have been edging closer together, largely thanks to the hostility and trade disputes involving both sides under the Trump administration.

Mr Carney has spoken about the need for middle powers to forge closer partnerships in a world dominated by the likes of Russia, China and the United States.

The EU is keen to maintain a close relationship with Mr Carney as Canada is rich in critical raw materials, is a reliable member of the transatlantic alliance and has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine following the Russian invasion in 2022.

The European Commission also sees opportunities for collaboration in cybersecurity, quantum computing and energy.

However, the offer of associate membership has taken member states by surprise.

There is no model of such a partnership in the Lisbon Treaty - both sides are linked by the trade agreement known as CETA, and that has yet to be ratified by 10 member states, including Ireland.

European capitals will wait to hear from Mr Carney on how he sees this new alliance developing and what the possible tradeoffs might be.

Additional reporting from AFP