Prime Minister Mark Carney announced an historic milestone in Canada’s relationship with the European Union (EU) on June 23, 2025. Joined by President Costa and President von der Leyen, the Prime Minister revealed plans to establish an ambitious and comprehensive partnership — the New EU-Canada Strategic Partnership of the Future. Grounded in shared values and a commitment to a rules-based international order, this partnership aims to advance common interests across multiple areas to strengthen co-operation and connection.

Canada and the EU will soon begin wide-ranging negotiations to deepen cooperation in key areas such as trade, economic security, digital transformation, and the fight against climate change and environmental degradation. These efforts are expected to unlock new economic opportunities and long-term prosperity for workers, businesses, and communities across both Canada and the EU.

“Canada’s new government has a mandate to diversify and strengthen international partnerships,” Carney stated in a press release. “To that end, we took an historic step forward today to deepen Canada’s relationship with the European Union. Through increased co-operation in defence, trade, and commerce, we’ll create greater prosperity, security, and stability on both sides of the Atlantic.”

As part of their deepening relationship, Canada and the European Union signed the Security and Defence Partnership. This framework will guide ongoing dialogue and collaboration on shared security and defence priorities.

This agreement marks Canada’s deliberate first step toward joining the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, a key component of the ReArm Europe Plan and the Readiness 2030 strategy. Canada’s involvement is expected to unlock major opportunities in defence procurement and strengthen the country’s industrial base.