EU opens door for Canada to become first associate member

Strasbourg, France. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become its first “associate member”, a status not set out in the bloc’s treaties.

The proposal marks a shift in EU policy, as the bloc has historically resisted flexible membership categories.

New partnership proposal

Speaking in her annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, von der Leyen said partnerships were a strategic choice for Europe and a response to fractures in the international rules-based system.

“We see the world with the same eyes: from AI to climate change, from the Arctic to geopolitics,” she said. “And we have stood together: on Ukraine, on defence, on raw materials and on supply chains. But above all…Europe and Canada believe in democracy.”

The announcement follows a German proposal in May for associate membership for Ukraine as a step towards full EU accession, which received a lukewarm response from EU member states.

Canada’s position

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this week that Canada was seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU, rather than membership.

Von der Leyen invited Carney to join her in Strasbourg, where he is due to deliver his own address on Thursday.

Carney’s European trip comes after trade talks between Canada and the United States collapsed last month, triggering reciprocal tariff measures.

Areas of cooperation

Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada would work together across sectors including manufacturing, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and energy.

“We will work on intelligent manufacturing. We will create a tech alliance. We will integrate defence industrial bases. We will make the Arctic a flagship joint project,” she said.

She added that the proposed partnership was “not against anyone else”, in remarks that could avoid antagonising US President Donald Trump.