France is supporting a closer relationship between Canada and the European Union as Paris and Ottawa look to expand cooperation across a range of strategic sectors.
French President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement on September 20 during a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Saint-Pierre, the capital of the French overseas territory of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.
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Macron said France strongly supports the European Union’s agenda of strengthening ties with Canada, including discussions around the possibility of Canada becoming an associate member of the EU.
The meeting also highlighted the broader relationship between France and Canada. Macron said the two countries would strengthen cooperation in fisheries, security and energy, while Carney outlined plans for Canada and Europe to develop what he described as an “Alliance for the Future.”
The proposal for closer Canada-EU relations follows an initiative announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament.
Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada could seek to move their relationship beyond the existing Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, toward a broader partnership covering areas including manufacturing, technology, defence, the Arctic, energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.
The idea of associate membership would represent a new form of relationship between Canada and the European Union. Canada is not an EU member, and the proposal would therefore involve cooperation without full membership of the bloc.
The discussions come amid wider efforts by Canada and European countries to strengthen economic and strategic cooperation. Energy, critical minerals, advanced technology and Arctic interests have become increasingly important areas of collaboration between Canada and Europe.
Macron’s remarks in Saint-Pierre also carried a strong geographic dimension. Located in the North Atlantic roughly 20 kilometres from Newfoundland, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon provides France with a direct territorial connection to North America.
The visit was described as the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister to the French territory, giving the meeting an additional significance for the long-standing relationship between France and Canada.
The proposed closer EU-Canada relationship has also drawn criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the possibility of Canada becoming an EU associate member could be viewed as a “hostile act” and threatened tariffs against Europe.
For Canada and the European Union, the discussions now point toward a potentially broader framework for cooperation, with trade, technology, energy, security, critical minerals and Arctic interests among the areas under consideration.