Canada and EU open talks on Galileo navigation, IRIS2 secure comms

Canada and the European Union opened negotiations on access to the Galileo satellite navigation system and launched exploratory talks on the bloc’s planned secure-communications constellation, IRIS², at a summit in Montreal, Quebec, on Oct. 30, 2026. The joint statement issued at the close of the two-day meeting formalized the shift, with the draft text urging Ottawa and Brussels to accept greater responsibility for shared security while reinforcing NATO. Global Affairs Canada announced the meeting on Oct. 2, 2026, and the summit capped a month of accelerating diplomacy that included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s Sept. 16 State of the Union address and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s address to the European Parliament the following day.

Canada stands to gain independent access to an operational satellite-navigation system that can complement its reliance on the U.S. GPS system. The Canadian Armed Forces currently depend on one encrypted military signal from America’s GPS system, while Galileo operates its own encrypted Public Regulated Service available to non-EU countries only under a formal agreement. The summit backgrounder includes a geodetic partnership tied to Galileo’s High Accuracy Service, which would extend advanced positioning nationwide, including the Arctic. The EU Agency for the Space Programme reports that the High Accuracy Service has broadcast corrections sharpening positions to about 20 centimetres since January 2023, and the service remains free to users with a compatible receiver.

On the secure-communications side, Canada will pursue an administrative arrangement for IRIS2 that the summit backgrounder presents as a structure for dialogue and information sharing. The European Union plans the network at about 290 satellites across low and medium Earth orbit, while the European Commission puts the figure at 348 satellites, comprising 330 in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit. The Prime Minister’s Office says IRIS2 aims to provide governments, militaries and emergency services with secure links during crises. Industry reporting describes the constellation as Europe’s planned alternative to networks run by foreign companies, including SpaceX’s Starlink, with a greater focus on government communications, defence and security than the primarily commercial Starlink network.

Norway and Iceland signed agreements in March 2026 to join IRIS2 and GOVSATCOM, the EU’s existing government satellite-communications service, and to contribute funding to both. SpaceRISE is developing IRIS2 through a consortium including European satellite operators SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat, with initial launches set for 2029 and government services expected around 2030.

The space cooperation fits into a broader security framework. Politico first reported the draft joint statement before the summit, and it covers deepening cooperation on satellite services, Arctic maritime capabilities and critical materials for defence industries, and it dedicates an entire section to energy and critical raw materials while proposing exploration of stockpiling of critical resources for civilian and defence industries. The summit statement identifies space security as one of the areas covered by the Canada-EU Security and Defence Partnership signed in June 2025. Canada obtained preferential access to EU defence procurement under the Security Action for Europe defense-financing program, and Canadian-made parts can account for 80% of procurement value for equipment bought using its loans.

Ottawa joined SAFE as the first non-European member in February 2026.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, European Council President Antnio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an Alliance for the Future at the close of the summit. The package centred on defence buying, critical minerals, digital trade and research, with space cooperation folded into the broader agreement. Carney said of the talks, “the good news is it doesn’t matter about specific names or nomenclature.” On the same day, MDA Space announced it will construct digital antennas at a Montreal facility for the first 66 IRIS2 satellites under an initial agreement with Thales Alenia Space worth more than $100 million, representing European industry funding for Canadian space infrastructure.

Ottawa is funding navigation and secure-communications work domestically while opening talks on Europe’s systems because Galileo is already operational, Canada’s own capability is not yet available, and the Canadian military relies on one encrypted military signal from the U.S. GPS. Canada is developing its own secure low Earth orbit network through Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation, supported by a federal loan and procured for Arctic defence communications. Ottawa invested $15 million in Xona Space Systems’ Montreal centre for sovereign positioning, navigation and timing work on Oct. 20, 2026, and authorized Canada’s participation in ESA’s FutureNAV and Moonlight navigation programs during the spring.

The push to diversify comes as SpaceX ends new Falcon 9 bookings past 2028 and shifts customers to Starship, reducing near-term launch options for Canadian satellite projects. Canada can already access satellite internet via Starlink and backs Ottawa-based Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation. Industry reporting from Rapporteur said the European Commission was considering Canada as a possible participant in IRIS2 before the summit, but neither Ottawa nor Brussels had publicly confirmed discussions and the program was not on the published summit agenda. The Canadian Space Agency stated that IRIS2 carries EU security and access restrictions and that Canada’s access was not set to change.