Carney should seek Parliament’s approval before joining EU as associate member, Conservatives say

Carney should seek Parliament’s approval before joining EU as associate member, Conservatives say STEVEN CHASE SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER PUBLISHED 1 HOUR AGO UPDATED 47 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Conservative MP Shuvaloy Majumdar says Prime Minister Mark Carney did not campaign on obtaining associate membership with the European Union. SEAN KILPATRICK/THE CANADIAN PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Prime Minister Mark Carney shouldn’t hitch Canada to the European Union as an associate member without seeking the approval of Parliament, opposition Conservatives say. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday talked of helping Canada become an associate member of the 27-member economic bloc, a status that does not exist in the union’s legal framework or founding treaties. Shuvaloy Majumdar, the Conservative critic for Canada-U.S. relations, noted Mr. Carney’s 2025 Liberal campaign platform did not talk about obtaining this kind of membership in the EU, a body with its own regulations and rules for trade and commerce. In her speech, Ms. von der Leyen said the EU wanted to move from the existing Canada-EU trade agreement “to an alliance for the future.” “Parliament should be consulted. It should be brought before the House to be considered,” Mr. Majumdar said. “Do we want European rules? Do we want European regulation? Do we want European Union taxes?” the MP asked. “To what degree is the Prime Minister offering up Canadian sovereignty to become the 28th member of the European Union? Neither Mr. Carney nor Ms. von der Leyen have offered any details on what “associate member” status would involve. Sign up for the Politics Insider Newsletter. Your essential weekly reading on what matters in Canadian politics (subscribers only) SUBSCRIBE EXPLORE NEWSLETTERS Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Related stories If Canada joins the European Union show, it will only be from the upper balcony DOUG SAUNDERS The EU loves Carney. That won’t necessarily make striking trade deals any easier What does it mean for Canada to become EU’s first associate member Diversions Horoscope Daily astrology with Sally Brompton Daily Crossword Solve today's puzzle Daily Cryptic Witty word play at its best Sudoku Three difficulty levels to solve Follow related authors and…