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 that is not set out in the bloc’s treaties.
– Von der Leyen’s announcement is a significant shift in EU policy. The bloc has historically resisted flexible categories and EU members were lukewarm in reacting to Germany’s proposal in May of associate membership for Ukraine as a stepping stone to full accession.
– “Partnerships are a strategic choice for Europe. But they also respond to the fracture in the international rules-based system,” von der Leyen said in her annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
– “We see the world with the same eyes: from AI to climate change, from the Arctic to geopolitics. 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.”
– Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this week Canada was seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU but not membership. Von der Leyen invited Carney to join her in Strasbourg and he will make his own address on Thursday.
– Carney’s European trip follows a historic breakdown in Canada-U.S. relations after trade talks collapsed last month, sparking a series of tit-for-tat tariff measures.
– “I said we must urgently reimagine our partnerships. So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU,” von der Leyen said.
– She added the EU and Canada will work together on across sectors from manufacturing to AI, 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.
– Von der Leyen added “this is a partnership not against anyone else” in a possible effort to avoid antagonizing U.S. President Donald Trump.