European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed that Canada become the European Union’s first associate member, outlining a new form of partnership between Ottawa and the bloc.
Von der Leyen made the proposal on Wednesday during her annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
“I want to work with you to pave the way for Canada to become the first associate member of the European Union,” von der Leyen told MEPs.
The proposal was met with a standing ovation from lawmakers. Von der Leyen subsequently embraced Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was in the European Parliament to attend the address.
Von der Leyen said the EU needed new partnerships at a time when she described the international environment as “an openly hostile world.”
She pointed to shared positions and interests between the EU and Canada in areas including artificial intelligence, climate change, the Arctic and geopolitics. She also highlighted cooperation on Ukraine, defense, critical raw materials and supply chains.
Carney welcomed the proposal to strengthen cooperation between Canada and Europe, although he did not specifically refer to associate membership in his remarks.
The precise meaning of the proposed “associate member” status remains unclear. According to Reuters, the initiative would require approval from EU member states and cannot be established by the European Commission president alone.
The proposal comes as the EU faces Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine on its eastern border, while both the European bloc and Canada are navigating trade tensions with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and growing competition from China.
If developed, the proposal could provide a new framework for closer institutional cooperation between Canada and the EU without full membership in the bloc.
