Carney explores Canada becoming EU 'associate member'

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is exploring making Canada an "associate member" of the European Union, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday, as ties with Washington deteriorate sharply. The EU is reportedly open to creating this new status, with discussions covering free movement for goods, services, and workers in strategic sectors like energy, AI, and defence, plus joint infrastructure projects. The Canadian embassy and European Commission did not comment. Carney has discussed visa-free travel for Canadians with EU leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, who will meet him later this month. However, opposition to a previous Canada-EU trade deal, still unratified by several countries, highlights the difficulty.