European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Thursday’s Canada-EU Summit in Montreal will launch talks about Canada becoming the European Union’s first “associate member.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney later on Oct. 29 also indicated that Canada is working toward becoming an “associate member” of the EU, although he had earlier avoided the term.
Von der Leyen told a crowd gathered at an event hosted by the C.D. Howe Institute in Montreal that the partnership makes sense because Canada and the European Union are “two complementary systems.”
“Of course, Canada cannot become a full-fledged member of the European Union because of geography,” she said during her Oct. 29 speech ahead of the two-day Canada-EU Summit. “But we both want to bring our relationship to the highest level possible, and this is why we are discussing the idea of Canada becoming the first associate member of the European Union.”
Von der Leyen first proposed associate member status for Canada during a speech to the European Parliament on Sept. 16. Carney welcomed the offer in his own speech to the Parliament the following day, saying Ottawa was prepared to deepen cooperation in areas such as critical minerals, defence industrial capacity, artificial intelligence (AI), and energy security.
Some European officials have since sought to distinguish the broader goal of closer cooperation from the specific “associate member” label.
Several EU member nations like Germany, France, Italy, and Greece specifically objected to the “associate member” terminology this week when the proposed language was suggested in documents ahead of the summit. Germany’s envoy to Canada said that while his country welcomes closer ties with Canada, the term “associate member” is reserved for European countries such as Ukraine and Moldova that have prospects of eventually joining the bloc as full members.
Some European news agencies had reported this week that the term was subsequently dropped from the draft joint declaration, with the two sides instead pursuing closer association and further discussions on the future relationship.
Von der Leyen nevertheless continued to promote the concept in Montreal, outlining her vision of how a closer relationship could bring Canada and the EU nearer to the kind of cooperation associated with membership.
“Our idea is simple… an association without accession,” she said during her 30-minute speech. “But we can replace accession with a common ambition and vision. We can build a partnership that comes closer to membership than anything we’ve done before.”
‘A New Alliance for the Future’
Carney said in his own remarks on Oct. 29 that Canada is “in the process of forging a new alliance for the future, with Canada as an associate member.”
“We are here because we share a common mission,” he said.
Conservatives have criticized Ottawa’s approach to the issue, saying that when Carney was previously asked whether Canada was considering associate membership in the EU, he responded that Canada wasn’t seeking “membership.” Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre says any new agreement with the EU should ensure there are no “EU taxes, no EU laws, and no EU open-border immigration policies” imposed on Canadians.
Carney has said the substance of closer cooperation matters more than the name attached to it.
The prime minister has previously suggested the relationship could be described as an “alliance for the future.” His office described the summit in a statement this week as an opportunity to advance “an ambitious new partnership” with the European Union.
Carney’s office says the EU offers market power, research, and manufacturing capabilities, while Canada offers energy, critical minerals, expertise in space technology, AI and quantum computing, and a strong banking system.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that if Canada joining the EU as an associate member is intended as a “hostile act” against the Untied States, he may respond with imposing tariffs on the bloc.
When asked about these comments on Oct. 29, Carney said that a Canada that is “more independent, more resilient” is a “better partner for everyone.”
“In order to be that, we need to build at home, and we need to diversify our partnerships with reliable partners abroad,” he said. “This is a process which we’re doing absolutely in the interests of Canadians, but ultimately, the U.S. will see the benefit.”
Von der Leyen’s Pitch
Von der Leyen’s speech comes as Carney welcomes EU leaders to Montreal for a two-day summit on the next steps in Canada’s relationship with the bloc.
Von der Leyen outlined three areas for closer alignment: policies, governance, and programs.
Policy alignment would cover areas ranging from artificial intelligence and climate measures to energy solutions and national security, she said. Governance would involve closer cooperation between the European Commission and the Canadian government, while the two sides would also seek to deepen their institutional ties.
She said closer alignment on programs would allow Canadian students and researchers to work and study alongside their European counterparts. Potential avenues she cited include Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation funding program, and Erasmus+, the EU’s education and student-mobility program.
“So that’s in a nutshell, and much, much more, what associate member[ship] is all about, open only to our closest partners outside of Europe, who are ready to open a new frontier together and to chart the course together,” von der Leyen said.
“To think beyond the terms of our partnership today towards the most ambitious version of what we can build, and I must say, I can think of no better partner than Canada to embark exactly on this journey with us.”
Von der Leyen also outlined her views on the potential benefits of the partnership.
She said closer cooperation could reduce supply-chain risks through joint investments, pair Canada’s mining expertise with European demand for critical minerals, and advance AI safety and standards.
She also proposed working together to counter Russian competition in the Arctic by monitoring oceans, connecting remote communities, and protecting critical raw materials.
Von der Leyen argued countries must think beyond traditional approaches to international cooperation because of what she described as a “deeper decay in international order.”
She said that change comes with risks but that the EU can “no longer let ourselves be shackled by the limits of the old world order” and must seek partnerships that are “built on trust and driven by common interests and beliefs.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
