OTTAWA – The European Union’s ambassador to Canada says the bloc is crafting a new partnership with Ottawa unlike anything that currently exists.
Geneviève Tuts says this is what Prime Minister Mark Carney referred to last month when he said he was pursuing “a much stronger and deeper security and economic partnership” with the EU.
She says this will be “something unique” that won’t look exactly like arrangements the EU has with countries like Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom.
Carney will address the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, next week in response to what Tuts says was an exceptional invitation to a non-European leader.
There have been media reports of a deal emerging between the EU and Canada at the meeting next week, but Tuts said she instead expects discussions on a possible new partnership.
Brussels would then consult with member states, and Canada would do the same with the provinces, ahead of a possible announcement at a summit in late October.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2026.
