Joint Statement: Canada and the European Union building together an Alliance for the Future

At their 21st summit in Montréal, the leaders of Canada and the European Union launched a “Canada-EU Alliance for the Future” to create a common prosperity and economic security space, covering trade, digital technology, critical minerals and energy, financial markets, security and people-to-people ties. The statement says both sides will work to define, by the 2027 summit, an “ever-closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself.”

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1. Today we, the Leaders of Canada and the European Union (EU), at our 21^st Summit in Montréal, launch the Canada-EU Alliance for the Future to create a common prosperity and economic security space.
2. The strong partnership between Canada and the EU is deeply rooted in trust, shaped by a shared history of human connection and robust economic ties, and grounded in the core values we share: democracy, human rights, the rule of law, the rules-based international order and open, rules-based markets. We are strategically important partners, close friends as well as neighbours.
3. Our relationship already encompasses one of the world’s most successful free trade agreements as well as extensive cooperation in a wide range of areas, including security, defence, sustainable development and people-to-people exchanges. However, the world is changing rapidly. Geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, climate change, technological transformation and growing competition for energy, resources and strategic technologies are reshaping the international environment. In this context, Canada and the EU are building a deeper, more integrated and strategically aligned relationship.
4. By strengthening economic ties, reducing shared vulnerabilities, and building resilient supply chains, Canada and the EU will be better equipped to address shared global challenges and support sustainable growth. These efforts will complement our relationships with like-minded partners and reinforce the democratic values, economic openness, and shared security interests that underpin our cooperation.
5. Our Alliance for the Future will be based on the principle of reciprocity in industrial sectors where both sides have agreed to deepen strategic cooperation to identify and mitigate shared economic security concerns and to build more integrated and resilient supply chains across our markets.
6. Our Alliance for the Future will be anchored in a more active foreign and security policy partnership. We will continue strengthening consultation and coordination on global challenges, including in the G7 and G20 frameworks, and advance joint or mutually reinforcing initiatives in key regions and multilateral fora, together with partners from around the world.

An alliance of values

1. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to effective multilateralism, democracy and to the rules-based international order, with the United Nations (UN) at its core. As also set out in the Partners for Multilateralism Initiative (P4M), launched at UNGA81 and co-sponsored inter alia by Canada and the EU, we will work together with all partners, as well as with the UN and its agencies, in driving forward the UN80 initiative to ensure the UN remains effective, cost-efficient and responsive. We will continue to promote and defend international law, including UNCLOS, to uphold the rules and principles of the UN Charter as well as human rights and fundamental freedoms. We reaffirm our continued and unwavering support for the independence, impartiality and integrity of the international justice system, particularly to the International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as our commitment to upholding the Rome Statute. We deeply regret the announcement of sanctions imposed upon the Court by the United States. We remain committed to engaging further in constructive and inclusive dialogue with non-State Parties. We are determined to deliver on our global obligations and commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. We will work together to reinforce a predictable trade environment, urgently reform the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to make it fit for purpose, and address policy issues, including on digital trade. We will work closely to deepen our engagement under the Trade and Investment Dialogue between the EU and members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
2. We will sharpen our focus on shared priorities, ranging from the EU’s neighbourhood, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and the Western Balkans to the Indo-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
3. We will remain resolute and continue our support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the principles of international law, including the UN Charter. We reaffirm our continued firm and unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. We will continue to provide comprehensive political, financial, economic, energy, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people. We will also pursue a longer-term vision of partnership, including Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. We will contribute to its ongoing institutional reform efforts and future reconstruction. We will further increase pressure on Russia and seek its accountability for the crimes committed in and against Ukraine. Together we will continue to ensure the immediate and safe return of all prisoners of war, civilian detainees and unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, including within the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.
4. In the Middle East, we will work more closely to support de-escalation, respond to humanitarian needs, and contribute to the conditions for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side in peace within secure and recognised borders.
5. Canada and the EU will deepen their collaboration in the Arctic, including through engagement with Indigenous Peoples, and identify mutually beneficial areas of cooperation. We will prioritize opportunities to foster peace, security and resilience, strengthening cooperation on trade and sustainable economic development, international connectivity and addressing the impacts of climate change.
6. We will accelerate the implementation of our Security and Defence Partnership to deepen security and defence cooperation, and address shared security challenges and their impact on our citizens. Building on existing Canada-EU cooperation on key defence initiatives, including under the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and Canada’s participation in the Capability Coalitions, we will strengthen cooperation on, inter alia, international peace and crisis management, sanctions, defence industry, maritime security, space security, hybrid threats and resilience. We welcome Canada’s interest in strengthening its participation in EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations, as well as Canada’s continued commitment to European security, in particular in the Eastern Flank, from the Arctic region to the Black Sea.
7. We also take note of separate initiatives between Canada and some Member States, such as the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank.
8. The current geostrategic environment and growing hybrid threats facing Canada and the EU are threatening our democracies. Canada and the EU will develop a framework for cooperation on democratic resilience, in full respect of fundamental rights and values, reinforce and promote democratic institutions and processes, safeguard the integrity of the information space, protect electoral integrity, empower all stakeholders to increase capacity and expertise to defend and uphold common democratic principles, and boost citizens’ engagement and societal resilience including by developing enhanced capacity for an early warning and risk management mechanism as well as fostering exchanges in these areas. This will complement the ongoing collaboration to counter foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) under the Security and Defence Partnership, including the new dedicated FIMI dialogue, which will allow to deepen our cooperation, shifting from a reactive stance to a proactive one.
9. We will mobilise investment to catalyse job creation, grow strategic industries, and ensure our workers and critical industries succeed – while prioritizing competitiveness and protecting our shared interests. Together, we will build reliable and secure supply chains, world‑class innovation ecosystems, and an economy that is resilient, competitive, sustainable, technologically neutral and circular in both Canada and the EU. We will deepen economic cooperation by strengthening mutual economic security and supply chain resilience, supporting open and rules-based trade, promoting a level playing field globally, fostering innovation and competitiveness, and promoting opportunities for our students, workers and businesses in Canada and the EU. We will ensure that our partnerships across key sectors and industries can lead to higher income, greater employment opportunities, and improved living standards.
10. We aim to align strategies and bring our standards closer through CETA, connect industries, and focus our ambitions on sectors with greatest returns for our peoples. This includes the development of safe and sustainable low-carbon energy that much of the world currently needs. The development of liquefied natural gas exchanges will be supported in a manner consistent with Canada and the EU’s climate-neutrality pathways and their respective commitments under the Paris Agreement. We will carry out joint work on digital infrastructure facing unprecedented demand, including the technologies and capabilities that underpin artificial intelligence – from trusted and sovereign cloud and compute infrastructure to data, models, software and applications. We will also focus on strategic industries where shared resilience is becoming an imperative – critical raw materials and supply chains, energy including cleantech, semi-conductors, quantum, pharmaceuticals including vaccines, essential medicines, critical and emerging technologies, and space-based communications, navigation and earth observation.
11. We recognise the existential threat of the interdependent crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean and land degradation and pollution. The Canada-EU Green Alliance remains our compass for advancing decarbonisation while also strengthening competitiveness, affordability and economic security. Canada and the EU also welcome collaboration on ocean governance and observation, including the recently launched OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System. Carbon pricing and industrial decarbonisation alongside clean-tech value chains are key to reaching our shared 2050 net-zero and decarbonisation goals. We also stress the need to further strengthen the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal-Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, including through the implementation of the G7 Marine Protected Area Alliance. Canada and the EU will work together to ensure that UNFCCC COP31 and Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) COP1 deliver ambitious outcomes for environment and climate action. Consistent with UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) Resolution 5/14, we reaffirm our commitment to collaborate to achieve an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution, that addresses the full life cycle of plastics, to protect human health and the environment.

An alliance that delivers

1. The Canada-EU partnership has already created opportunities and benefits for our businesses and citizens. Since our last Summit in June 2025:

• We have been strengthening our already deep economic ties through CETA. We remain committed to its effective implementation, while fully respecting the ratification processes underway in Member States in accordance with their constitutional requirements.
• We have been enhancing our defence industrial cooperation, including through Canada’s participation in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument.
• We have seen concrete investment in each other’s industries – from defence contracts to critical raw materials and launched and held several dialogues focused on competitiveness, economic security and supply chains.
• We have operationalised our consular cooperation – ensuring that Canadians and Europeans have increased access to emergency consular support throughout the world in case of crisis.
• Our Mutual Recognition Agreement for Professional Qualifications of Architects came into force.
• We have set an ambitious agenda at the first Canada-EU Digital Partnership Council and have signed memoranda of understanding on Artificial Intelligence and on Digital Credentials, Digital Identity Wallets and Trust Services.
• We have agreed to work together through the Destination Earth initiative on advanced AI solutions for wildfires, extreme weather events, and climate simulations.
• We have enhanced our judicial cooperation in criminal matters between Canadian authorities and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

1. Today we welcome the following new announcements:

• We have concluded substantive negotiations on a Digital Trade Agreement (DTA) that will complement CETA by establishing a modern framework for digital trade between Canada and the EU. The DTA will improve legal certainty and predictability, facilitate cross-border data flows, and enhance confidence in the digital economy for businesses and consumers.
• Canada and the European Investment Bank have concluded negotiations of an agreement that will facilitate European investment in critical Canadian resources, in particular, critical raw materials.
• We have concluded negotiations on a second-generation Competition Agreement that strengthens cooperation between competition authorities, to more effectively address anti-competitive conduct, and foster a more open, innovative, and competitive marketplace for businesses and consumers.
• We are welcoming Canada’s participation in the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), which will strengthen connections between our supercomputing resources and pave the way for further integrating our AI innovation ecosystems.
• We welcome Canada’s intention to join the Ukraine Support Loan.
• We have agreed on a Frontex-Canada Border Services Agency Working Arrangement, establishing an expanded framework for operational cooperation on securing our borders.
• We are launching new dedicated dialogues on the Arctic, foreign information manipulation and interference, climate security, and transport.

An Alliance for the Future

1. Today, Canada and the EU are launching work towards a landmark Alliance for the Future, building on our shared values and already strong partnership. We aim to create unprecedented opportunities for our peoples and deliver ambitious cooperation in the following areas: trade and regulatory cooperation; digital, research and communications technologies; critical raw materials and energy; financial services and markets; security and preparedness, as well as people-to-people.

Trade and regulatory cooperation

1. Canada and the EU will build on the success of CETA to create a common prosperity and economic security space. We will upgrade our trade partnership to create new opportunities for workers, businesses and investors while strengthening resilient, secure and sustainable supply chains to address our common dependencies in areas such as critical raw materials, energy, clean and digital technologies, critical medicines, as well as maritime industries. We will deepen targeted industrial cooperation through the development of sectoral road maps for key strategic sectors under the Industrial Policy Dialogue. Canada and the EU will intensify efforts to address bilateral barriers to trade, strengthen regulatory and standards cooperation, and achieve tangible results in this area. We will explore new avenues for economic cooperation that support innovation, competitiveness and participation in strategic industrial and technology value chains, for example by using CETA to the maximum extent and exploring new cooperation such as in the area of e-commerce. This includes identifying opportunities for collaboration on future industrial policy funding, alongside the mobilization of private capital and market-based investment mechanisms. We will establish a business council to engage and bring together companies on both sides.
2. We will work closely on our respective economic security measures, striving, where possible, to limit negative effects on one another. Such endeavour will be based on the principle of reciprocity and will follow a sector-by-sector approach with the aim of protecting supply chains consistently across our markets and guarding against potential risks of circumvention. This cooperation will cover critical supply chains and technologies as well as cooperation on preventing technology leakage.

Digital, research and communications technologies

1. Canada and the EU will deepen cooperation in research, innovation and emerging technologies to strengthen economic competitiveness and create new opportunities for Canadians and Europeans. Canada and the EU will work toward Canada's participation in future European research and innovation programmes, including Horizon Europe, supporting collaborative research, and fostering innovation in areas of shared strategic interest, including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductors, photonics and advanced computing. Particular attention will be given to enabling Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), startups and research institutions to access relevant digital infrastructure, expertise, funding and research opportunities. We will work together to expand Canada’s uptake of existing opportunities under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the European Research Council, fostering excellence, mutual talent mobility between Canada and the EU and breakthrough discoveries.
2. Canada and the EU will advance cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) security and safety, its global governance and sovereignty anchored in international law, free and trusted data flows and digital governance and will promote interoperability of emerging AI models and systems and digital regulatory frameworks. We will support reciprocal access to our respective digital markets, including in the field of cloud and AI services and infrastructure, in line with our respective regulatory frameworks, noting our shared objective of exploring opportunities for collaboration and supporting open markets under our respective frameworks. We will deepen cooperation on the development, interconnection, access and use of advanced AI and high-performance computing infrastructure, including AI Factories and other large-scale AI compute facilities, with particular attention to access for start-ups, SMEs, researchers and public-sector users. We will also coordinate efforts to advance the safety of minors online.
3. We will launch joint initiatives to improve secure international connectivity between Canada, Europe and Asia through new subsea cable infrastructure. As part of these efforts, we will assess cable routes, points of interconnection, and engage with industry. We will promote security and resilience by design, including risk assessment, diversified landing points and repair readiness, in cooperation with relevant authorities and infrastructure operators.
4. With a view to fostering economic growth, open supply chains and people-to-people ties, Canada and the EU will work towards mutual recognition in three high-priority digital spheres: (i) digital identity, digital credentials and trust services, (ii) conformity assessment results for artificial intelligence systems and (iii) cybersecurity.
5. We will expand cooperation on space, in particular on secure connectivity. Canada and the EU will launch negotiations toward a framework for Canadian access to Galileo services, and exploratory talks on an IRIS² cooperation framework, while drawing on Canadian and European next-generation connectivity technologies and deepen cooperation on earth observation capabilities.

Critical raw materials and energy

1. Canada and the EU will work together to improve the efficiency, resilience and security of maritime and multimodal supply chains, strengthen links between Canadian and European ports, and develop gateway-to-gateway cooperation connecting Canadian Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic routes with European ports and logistics networks. This cooperation will support trade diversification, critical raw minerals and energy corridors, supply-chain resilience and stronger connections between Canada, Europe and global markets. We will promote cooperation and exchange of best practices in ensuring the security and resilience of critical maritime, undersea, and ports infrastructure. We will also promote the transition to clean and resilient transport, including rail and waterway transport, through advanced standards and cooperation on decarbonization, digitalization and automation.
2. Canada and the EU will strengthen cooperation on energy security and the energy transition. We will assess opportunities for long-term energy connectivity, investment and offtake arrangements that contribute to Canadian and European energy security and Canadian economic development while supporting our shared climate objectives. This will include a joint long-term feasibility study on Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) exports to Europe. We will enhance cooperation towards sustainable grids and energy sources, battery storage as well as physical and cyber protection of energy infrastructure.
3. Building on the achievements of the Canada-EU Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials, we will accelerate collaboration to support investment in critical raw materials projects, both in Canada and in the EU, along the value chain, including extraction, processing, refining, manufacturing and recycling activities. In this sense, Canada and the EU will explore mechanisms to improve preparedness and security of supply for strategic resources essential to both civilian and defence industries including stockpiling of critical resources to insulate from market fluctuations and geopolitical impacts. Building on the engagement with the European Investment Bank, Canada and the EU will strengthen the development of secure and sustainable critical raw mineral value chains.
4. Canada and the EU will continue to identify business and investment opportunities to deepen the integration of raw material value chains, by involving relevant financial institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. Furthermore, Canada and the European Union will explore cooperation opportunities on raw materials projects in third countries identified as projects of common interest. These efforts will help create jobs, attract investment, accelerate the energy transition, and secure the supply of the resources required for strategic sectors such as safe and sustainable low-carbon energy, digital transition, aerospace and defence, advanced manufacturing and emerging industries on both sides of the Atlantic.
5. We will continue the existing cooperation on nuclear technologies, including uranium, fuels and fuel cycle services, and the modernization of a comprehensive Canada-Euratom Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

Financial services and markets

1. Canada and the EU will work to make it easier for businesses and investors to operate across the Atlantic and to unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation and investment. Canada and the EU will pursue closer cooperation to increase cross-border capital flows and access to financial services in order to improve opportunities for consumers, financial institutions, businesses and investors. These efforts will help mobilise capital for strategic sectors and support long-term economic growth and competitiveness.
2. We will also support work toward connecting instant payment systems to facilitate faster, lower-cost and more seamless cross-border transactions, making it easier for Canadians and Europeans to conduct business, invest and transfer funds across the two economies.

Security and preparedness

1. Canada and the EU are strategic partners in assuming greater responsibility for our shared security and defence as well as international security, in full complementarity with and reinforcing NATO. We will therefore increase our efforts to accelerate and bring to scale the implementation of our Security and Defence Partnership.
2. Canada and the EU will enhance cooperation on cyber security, information-sharing and supply-chain resilience, including through the continued exchange of cyber threat intelligence by Member States, coordinated responses to cyber incidents and strengthened resilience of critical infrastructure, helping to protect strategic infrastructure, strengthen economic security and respond more effectively to emerging threats. Particular attention will be given to emerging cyber threats enabled by artificial intelligence, including automated cyberattacks, while promoting the responsible use of artificial intelligence for cyber threat detection, prevention and incident response. We will build joint leadership in multilateral and international fora on cyber issues, including by upholding the UN Framework of responsible State behaviour in cyberspace.
3. Canada and the EU will strengthen cooperation to better protect Canadians and Europeans from health crises, emergencies, natural disasters, and evolving health security threats. We will deepen cooperation on pandemic preparedness, health surveillance, medical countermeasures and emergency response to improve collective readiness for future natural and human-induced emergencies, including public health crises, and exchange best practices on emergency preparedness. The Public Health Agency of Canada and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control will work towards closer cooperation. We will work towards Canada’s participation in BE READY, the Horizon Europe Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness research and innovation.
4. We will also expand collaboration on disaster preparedness and response and wildfire management, in particular in the fields of prevention, early detection, forest management, specialised training and reciprocal assistance. This will strengthen the ability of both partners to prepare for and respond to increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters, including enhanced cooperation with EU Member States in the context of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, and by strengthening cooperation in the area of aerial firefighting, including through the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network (UCPKN). We look forward to the delivery of the 24 DHC-515 water bombers to EU Member States, announced at the last Summit. We will support the procurement of purpose-built firefighting aircraft and equipment made in Canada and in the European Union.
5. Canada and the EU will strengthen cooperation on maritime security and safety, as well as the protection and resilience of critical maritime and undersea infrastructure, improving shipbuilding and manufacturing capacity such as for high-latitude fleets, and supporting search and rescue readiness.
6. Building on existing cooperation through Europol, Frontex and the EU Drugs Agency and Canadian Agencies, we will work together on protecting our citizens by advancing commitments under the newly established Canada-EU internal security dialogue to improve information and intelligence sharing, and enhance operational cooperation among law enforcement, border, drugs and security agencies. We are committed to the timely ratification of the Agreement between Canada and the European Union on the transfer and processing of passenger name record data. We will also further broaden judicial cooperation where possible through Eurojust and increase coordination on emerging security challenges. We will also explore ways and feasibility of enhancing immigration information sharing to facilitate travel, enhance security, help prevent fraud and tackle irregular migration.

People-to-people

1. Canada and the EU will expand opportunities for Canadians and Europeans to study, work, conduct research and build lasting connections and cultural exchanges across the Atlantic. Canada and the EU will launch negotiations toward deeper participation in Erasmus+, the EU flagship programme for education, training, youth and sport. This will expand opportunities for students, researchers, educators and young people to gain international experience, promote vocational education and training, and build lasting academic and scientific institutional partnerships.
2. Canada and the EU will launch discussions on cooperating on skills development and enhancing labour and researcher mobility, and talent attraction, with a focus on reducing barriers for young people and facilitating mobility for highly skilled workers and researchers and promoting greater recognition of professional qualifications.
3. Canada and the EU will also explore a next-generation Youth Mobility Partnership that will further enable young Canadians and Europeans to access opportunities across the Atlantic through a more integrated mobility framework. This will strengthen cultural ties, deepen people-to-people connections and enhance academic cooperation and exchanges in sectors of strategic importance through programmes such as Erasmus+, the European Research Council and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
4. Canada and the EU will promote cooperation on culture and cultural heritage through cultural dialogue and exchanges between cultural institutions, including on heritage preservation, the creative industries, and efforts to promote intercultural understanding. Canada and the EU will explore cooperation in the context of the New European Bauhaus (NEB), and work towards the establishment of a NEB Academy Hub in Canada and a close collaboration in the framework of the 2028 NEB Festival.

Conclusion

1. Building on the existing Strategic Partnership Agreement, we will create an even closer association between Canada and the EU. Closer engagement at the highest political levels will allow us to exchange views, identify shared priorities and coordinate our responses to common challenges. In this same spirit, we welcomed the participation of the Canadian Prime Minister in the European Political Community meeting in Yerevan and look forward to the upcoming meeting in Dublin, as well as the increasingly frequent exchanges with Canadian ministers in relevant Council and ministerial meetings. We will build on these exchanges through regular Summits, joint ministerial and cooperation committees, and work to define by the 2027 EU-Canada Summit the concept of an ever-closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself, to reflect, through this even closer association, our common endeavour and cooperation towards our shared goals of prosperity, economic security and strategic autonomy.
2. This is a moment to act with clarity and ambition. By aligning more closely – economically, technologically, and strategically – Canada and the EU are building an Alliance for the Future based on trust and shared values, that meets the scale of today’s challenges and opportunities and will reinforce the freedom, prosperity and safety our citizens expect and deserve. We are stronger together.

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