Canada is poised to deepen its military ties with the European Union by signing a landmark security and defence partnership agreement during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s upcoming visit to Brussels on June 23.
The signing will take place during the Canada-EU Summit, where Carney will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. Both EU leaders confirmed today, while attending the G7 Summit in Alberta, that Canada’s role in Europe’s evolving defence strategy is about to expand significantly.
As part of the agreement, Canada is expected to gain access to SAFE—Security Action for Europe, a €150 billion program aimed at joint defence procurement and collaboration. SAFE is the core financial tool of the EU’s ReArm Europe initiative, designed to bolster collective military readiness in response to global security threats.
Von der Leyen emphasized that SAFE is open only to Europe’s “very close allies, friends, and partners,” and noted that Canada’s participation will mark the beginning of detailed negotiations to formally bring Canada into the framework.
Prime Minister Carney has expressed strong interest in joining ReArm Europe, positioning Canada as a proactive player in transatlantic security partnerships and defence innovation.