EU offers Canada first-ever associate membership

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the proposal on Wednesday (September 16) during her annual State of the Union address in Strasbourg, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attending the European Parliament session.

“I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the European Union,” von der Leyen told Carney.

She said the EU and Canada shared common values and interests and should build a broader partnership covering areas including manufacturing, technology, defence, energy and critical minerals.

The proposed arrangement, described by von der Leyen as an “Alliance for the Future”, would build on the existing EU-Canada relationship, including the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

However, the proposed “associate member” status does not currently exist under EU treaties. Its exact rights and obligations, including whether Canada would have any voting role in EU institutions, remain unclear and would require further negotiations among the bloc’s 27 member states and EU institutions.

Canada is not eligible for full EU membership because it is not a European state. Carney has instead called for a “unique alliance” with Europe, seeking deeper cooperation without full EU membership.

The proposal comes as Canada seeks to strengthen its economic and strategic partnerships beyond the United States amid growing trade tensions with Washington.

Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada could cooperate more closely on artificial intelligence, quantum technology, cybersecurity, batteries, critical raw materials and Arctic issues, alongside defence and economic security.

The initiative is expected to be discussed further ahead of the EU-Canada summit scheduled to take place in Montreal on October 29-30.