Open for signatureElectronice-7823 · Parliament 45

EU associate membership

Sign on the House of Commons website

Petitioners ask the Government to publish any proposed terms of an EU associate-membership, preserve Canada’s legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory sovereignty, and hold a national referendum before agreeing.

Why we would sign this petition

  • Requires full publication of proposed terms so citizens can assess obligations, risks and benefits before government commits.
  • Explicit sovereignty protections would limit transfer of legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory powers to an external body.
  • A national referendum would give Canadians direct, democratic consent on a major change to foreign and trade relationships.

Why we wouldn’t sign this petition

  • Requiring publication and a referendum could delay or derail negotiations that might yield economic or diplomatic benefits.
  • Insisting on broad sovereignty guarantees may be legally or practically difficult and could preclude mutually acceptable compromise.
  • A national referendum may be impractical for complex international agreements and could oversimplify technical trade and regulatory issues.

The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada The President of the European Commission has proposed opening the door for Canada to become the first associate member of the European Union; No such associate membership status currently exists, and its terms, obligations and implications have not been defined or presented to Canadians; The Government of Canada did not seek an electoral mandate to enter into an associate membership arrangement with the European Union; Any such arrangement could have implications for Canadian sovereignty, regulatory autonomy, trade and economic policy; Canada should retain sovereign authority over its laws, taxation, regulations, borders, courts, natural resources, trade policy, foreign policy and democratic institutions; Canadians should be fully informed of the terms and consequences of any proposed associate membership before Canada enters into such an arrangement; and A decision of this significance should require the informed consent of Canadians through a national referendum. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Make public the complete proposed terms and obligations of any associate membership arrangement with the European Union before entering into such an agreement; 2. Preserve Canada's sovereign legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory authority in any such agreement; and 3. Hold a national referendum on whether Canada should enter into any form of associate membership with the European Union before entering into such an agreement.

Government response

No government response is available yet.