Canada and EU launch new alliance at Montréal summit

Canada and the European Union launched an “Alliance for the Future” in Montréal on October 30, closing a two-day summit with more than 20 announced measures on trade, defence, technology and security.

The leaders said they concluded negotiations on a digital trade agreement and a competition-cooperation agreement. Canada also joined the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, which is intended to expand access to advanced computing infrastructure and research networks.

The two sides will spend the coming months defining the possible scope of Canada becoming the first EU “Associate Member.” That status was not finalized at the summit. The package also included a $44-million European contract for Montréal-based Galvion to supply helmets to Denmark under the EU’s SAFE defence instrument.

Canada’s government said two-way goods and services trade with the EU reached $178 billion in 2025, making the bloc Canada’s second-largest trading partner.

Source: Prime Minister of Canada news release (October 30, 2026).

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