EU wants Canada to become ‘associate member,’ von der Leyen says

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Wednesday that Canada become the first "associate member" of the European Union during her annual State of the Union address. Speaking to European lawmakers, von der Leyen expressed her desire to collaborate with Canada in opening the door for it to join the EU as an associate member. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the speech.

Von der Leyen also unveiled a new "Alliance for the Future," which builds upon the existing EU-Canada trade deal, aiming to create a shared prosperity and economic security space. The nine-year-old Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has not yet been ratified by national and regional parliaments in 10 EU member states.

This initiative comes as Brussels and Ottawa work towards deeper ties while navigating a costly trade war with the United States. Von der Leyen emphasized that the partnership is not meant to be against anyone else. The proposed plans remain largely unelaborated, but von der Leyen pledged to focus on intelligent manufacturing, establishing a tech alliance, and integrating defense industries.

Both sides will also "make the Arctic a flagship joint project," focusing on energy, critical minerals, batteries, AI, quantum, cyber, and economic security.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to address the European Parliament on Thursday. A summit between Canada and the EU is planned for the end of October in Montreal, and they aim to reach a deal on digital trade by the end of the year.