Brussels – Although not through the EU’s door, Europe welcomed Canada to one of its highest-level meetings. Despite its name, the European Political Community hosted for the first time a non-European country in Yerevan, signalling a desire to deepen relations with the last trustworthy transatlantic left.
“Europe and Canada are more than just like-minded partners – together we are building a global alliance to defend peace, shared prosperity and multilateralism,” President of the European Council António Costa explained, inviting Prime Minister Mark Carney to the 8th meeting of the European Political Community in Armenia.
Arriving at the meeting on 4 May, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas noted that “Europe is not just about geography, it is also about the values and principles we share,” and for this reason the Canadian prime minister had been invited to discuss “common issues.” Echoing her words, President Costa highlighted the defence of the rules-based international order, adding that the EU and Canada are “determined to continue deepening our strategic partnership.”
Deepening the EU-Canada relations
Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, both Canada and the EU have been affected by the US president’s constant threats and unpredictability. Despite being their oldest and closest ally, the United States under Donald Trump can no longer be fully trusted, opening the door to a closer and stronger relationship between Brussels and Ottawa. EU accession remains highly unlikely, but it has suddenly come to seem more than a remote possibility.
“There are two preconditions to fulfil in order to become an EU member, but [Canada, ed.] is not a European state,” Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos recently made clear during the structured dialogue with the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). Commissioner Kos referred to a personal email exchange with a Canadian citizen who had asked whether Ottawa could join the Union, pointing to the obstacle posed by Article 49 of the Treaty on the European Union.
Although the Treaty does not clearly define what constitutes a “European state”, Commissioner Kos’ remarks suggest there is currently no political will to pursue a broader interpretation that would include Canada (but not Morocco, for example, which was rejected in 1987 for this very reason).
In any case, the Commissioner for Enlargement suggested “special partnership agreements” with a country that “does not want or cannot” become a member of the EU, but is “valuable to us.” Although outside the formal EU framework, joining the European Political Community as the first non-European country could represent a first step towards strengthened and more tailored EU–Canada cooperation.
What is the European Political Community
The European Political Community is a platform for coordination between European heads of state and government of EU and non-EU countries on issues of shared strategic importance. Proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron and former European Council President Charles Michel, the initiative held its first meeting in October 2022 in Czechia.
Since its launch, the summit has taken place every six months in a different host country, alternating between EU member states – typically the one holding the rotating presidency of the Council – and non-EU countries. Meetings have been held in Moldova (June 2023), Spain (October 2023), the United Kingdom (July 2024), Hungary (November 2024), Tirana (May 2025), and Copenaghen (October 2025). The next European Political Community summit is set to be held in Ireland in November 2026.
Apart from all 27 EU leaders – and the presidents of the EU institutions and other relevant European bodies – leaders from outside the Union are also invited to attend the summits. In Yerevan, representatives from 20 non-EU countries are present: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. For the first time, a non European country – Canada – was invited as a guest.
While this summit may resemble existing EU institutions and international organisations, it does not directly replicate any of them, thanks to its informal, flexible format, centred on an opening plenary session, small roundtable discussions on specific issues, and a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings rather than the complex procedures of more institutionalised bodies.
The European Union is clearly the driving force, yet less than 60% of its participants are EU member states. Like the European Council, it brings together heads of state and government, but deliberately avoids the binary EU/non-EU divide and produces no formal conclusions. In its composition, it echoes the Council of Europe, though it lacks a focus on human rights. Like the OSCE, its aim is to promote peace, dialogue and cooperation, but it has no security infrastructure and does not extend beyond Europe.
