A Leger poll says 70% of Canadians support Canada pursuing EU associate membership, though Canadians are less enthusiastic about changing laws to align with Europe.
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More than two in three Canadians say they support Canada becoming an associate member of the European Union, according to a new Leger online poll released amid ongoing discussions in Europe about a possible enhanced partnership with Canada.
The poll, conducted from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21 with 1,533 respondents, found 70 per cent of Canadians are in favour of associate membership, while 18 per cent are unsure and 13 per cent oppose the idea.
While overall support is high, the survey results suggest Canadians are more cautious about legal and regulatory alignment. Only 25 per cent of respondents said they would be more likely to support a deal if it required Canada to change laws and regulations to align with the EU, while 30 per cent said it would make them less likely to support such an arrangement.
The prospect of Canada joining the EU as an associate member was put into motion in remarks on the European side. Speaking to the European Parliament last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was opening the door to negotiating terms for Canada to become the first associate member of the EU.
A day later, Prime Minister Mark Carney told the EU Parliament that Canada welcomes the goal, while stressing that details have not been finalized. Carney said the initiative has strong domestic backing, adding that polling points to an “overwhelming majority” supporting closer ties.
Leger’s results showed the strongest support among seniors, with nearly 80 per cent backing associate membership. Support was also reported at more than 70 per cent in Quebec and Ontario, indicating a broad national base for the concept.
The poll also points to notable regional differences. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, more than a quarter of respondents opposed associate membership, and another quarter said they did not know or were unsure about it. Leger’s executive vice-president for Central Canada, Andrew Enns, said the lower support may reflect differences in exposure and familiarity with Europe across regions.
Enns suggested that Canadians in Ontario and Quebec may be more likely to have travelled to Europe than those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and that the level of awareness could be influencing responses. He also raised the possibility that economic considerations may play a role, noting that both provinces export heavily in agriculture.
According to Enns, Canada’s agricultural trade history with the EU includes barriers and challenges, including earlier European restrictions related to genetically modified crops. He said there may be “a lingering recall” among some respondents that trade and export access into the European Union can be difficult, contributing to hesitation.
The poll results also indicate where support is strongest for specific benefits. When respondents were asked about whether elements of a potential agreement would make them more or less likely to support deeper ties with Europe, 60 per cent or more across most provinces backed greater access for Canadian businesses to European markets, and vice versa.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan were an exception in those market-access questions, where support was lower at 44 per cent, again underscoring regional divergence in how Canadians view the trade implications of any arrangement.
Beyond markets, Leger reported that more than 50 per cent of respondents overall supported greater collaboration on defence and greater flexibility to live, work and travel in Europe. The survey also suggests that while people are open to cooperation and mobility, concerns grow where the partnership could entail legislative changes on Canada’s side.
Canadian officials have emphasized that the exact structure and terminology of the relationship are still being considered. Carney, in his remarks, pointed to priorities such as deeper ties involving critical minerals, defence, artificial intelligence and energy security, along with cooperation on youth mobility and an integrated market for financial services.
A further deciding step is expected at the Canada–EU summit in Montreal next month, where additional details on how the relationship could be negotiated are anticipated.
The polling methodology was addressed by the Canadian Research Insights Council, which said that online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not use random sampling of the population, a factor that underscores how respondents’ views should be interpreted.
For Canadians, the poll highlights both the political momentum behind closer EU ties and the specific conditions that may shape public support, particularly whether any associate membership would require Canada to adjust domestic rules to meet EU standards.
Overall, the findings suggest that while associate membership is broadly popular, the most contentious element appears to be the prospect of aligning Canadian laws with European regulations, a point likely to be central to any future negotiation and public communications around the proposal.
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