EU chief pitches ‘associate member’ status for Canada as bloc seeks closer cooperation

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen proposed a new "associate member" status for Canada during her keynote address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The EU chief argued that Canada could serve as the bloc's first associate member as both nations seek to strengthen cooperation amid a growing "fracture in the international rules-based system".

Von der Leyen outlined several areas of potential collaboration, including technology, defence, energy, critical minerals, AI, cyber security, and economic security. While the EU treaties do not officially allow for associate membership, the concept was first suggested by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz this year in the context of Ukraine.

The EU-Canada relationship has already been bolstered by a free-trade agreement, with trade between the two countries increasing by over 80 percent since 2016. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized the need for deeper ties between the two nations, seeking to move beyond trade-based cooperation to a broader "alliance for the future".

Some EU lawmakers expressed reservations about the proposal, questioning whether von der Leyen had the necessary democratic mandate to pursue associate membership for Canada.