Carney to host EU leaders in Montréal as Canada–EU partnership moves 'from ambition to action'

Prime Minister Mark Carney will host the Canada–European Union Summit in Montréal on October 29–30, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Sunday, bringing European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Canada.

According to the PMO, the summit will turn the two sides' complementary strengths into concrete benefits: more choice and lower costs for consumers, new export markets for businesses, and greater opportunities for young people to live, work and study on either side of the Atlantic.

The summit builds on the New EU–Canada Strategic Partnership of the Future and the Security and Defence Partnership launched last year. Since then, the PMO said, Canada has become the first non-European country to join the EU's SAFE defence initiative, unlocking hundreds of millions of dollars in opportunities and market access for Canadian defence industries, businesses and workers.

A year of closer ties

Carney has deepened Canada's engagement with European partners over the past year, becoming the first non-European leader to take part in the European Political Community Summit and addressing the European Parliament last month, where he set out his vision for a new alliance for the future, according to the PMO.

For Canada, the pitch is practical: the EU brings market power, research depth and manufacturing strength, while Canada brings energy, critical minerals, space, AI and quantum capabilities and one of the world's strongest banking systems, the PMO said.

What to watch: whether the October 29–30 summit delivers signed agreements on trade, defence procurement or youth mobility — and how the leaders frame the partnership against ongoing trade tension with the United States.