European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed hope that Canada could become the European Union’s first “associate member.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, more realistically, has called for a strong, unique alliance.

Whatever form these strengthened relations take, it’s clear the EU and Canada each have high ambitions for the other. But Europe is being courted from all sides. Competition to capture market share and attract investors there is fierce.

Canadians need to work better with Europeans, but also work better among themselves to succeed in Europe. They must develop effective work habits and organize themselves better, in a methodical and planned way, so that Canada can achieve its ambitions in Europe.

Read more: Thanks, Trump: Why Canada may become the European Union’s first ever ‘associate member’

Currently a diplomat-in-residence at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, I served as Canada’s ambassador to Germany from 2017 to 2022, then to France until December 2025. Throughout those eight years, I also served as the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Canada to the European Union and Europe.

Drawing on that experience, here are four suggestions for how the Canadian government should organize itself internally to help Canada better succeed in Europe:

1. Clear accountability

The prime minister should systematically and officially appoint, for every agreement signed with the EU or European countries, a senior Canadian official who, together with a European........

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