European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen Wednesday proposed making Canada the European Union’s first associate member, as US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats pushed Ottawa closer to Europe.
No rulebook exists for associate membership, with current EU accession steps requiring unanimous approval from 27 countries.
Addressing European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said EU and Canada would build on their CETA free-trade agreement through an “Alliance for the Future” to create “a common prosperity and economic security space. She said the partnership would span advanced manufacturing, technology, defence production, the Arctic, energy, critical minerals, batteries, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity and economic security. A Canadian official said Ottawa was exploring an arrangement short of membership that could allow Canadians to live and work in Europe without visas. Canada has retaliated against US tariffs and rejected terms Carney says would weaken sovereignty.
At World Economic Forum in Jan, he urged middle powers to cooperate.