Ursula Von Der Leyen Backs Canada’s Bid for EU First Associate Member Status

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed opening the door for Canada to become the EU’s “first associated member,” as she addressed the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg, France with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney present.

““first associated member””

ABC

Von der Leyen said, “I would like to work with you to open the door for Canada to become the EU’s first associated member,” framing the step as part of a need to “urgently reimagine our alliances” amid a “fracture” in the rules-based international order.

10News

Carney, meanwhile, told reporters in Toronto that Canada was seeking a “unique alliance” with the European Union but not membership of the bloc, saying, “What we are looking - and will begin discussions for - [is] a unique alliance with the European Union.”

The proposal is described as moving beyond the current CETA trade agreement toward an “Alliance for the Future,” with von der Leyen saying trade in goods between the two partners has risen 75% in less than a decade.

In parallel, Carney’s outreach is tied to the trade war with the United States, where the Wall Street Journal reported that Ottawa is seeking closer integration options that do not involve joining the EU or its single market.

Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival, Carney denied Canada was seeking formal membership, saying, “We’re not looking to become a member of the European Union,” while describing Canada’s goal as discussions on a “unique alliance.”

A senior Canadian official told the Associated Press news agency that the aim of the visit is to strengthen Canada’s sovereignty and that Canada would not be willing to give up “our rights to Brussels.”

1News.az

The BBC reported that Carney instructed his special envoy to Europe to “scope out the most ambitious possibilities short of full membership,” after the Wall Street Journal said EU officials were open to the idea of Canada becoming an “associate member.”

In the same period, the BBC said the US imposed tariffs on key Canadian sectors including steel, aluminium and lumber, and introduced an additional 50% levy on about C$28bn of Canadian goods, prompting Ottawa to slap levies of up to 50% on C$28bn of American products.

Carney’s European trip is also linked to his plan to travel to Strasbourg to address the European Parliament and to Liverpool to meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, as the trade war with the US intensifies.

The EU’s associate-member proposal is presented as a way to strengthen cooperation across sectors including manufacturing, technology, AI, defence, energy, critical minerals, and economic security, with von der Leyen saying the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes.”

“strengthen Canada’s ties with the EU in trade, investment, and security”

Al Jazeera

Von der Leyen also proposed moving from CETA to an “Alliance for the Future” to create “a common prosperity and economic security space,” while warning that the objective is to take the relationship with Canada to the “maximum possible level.”

The BBC reported that Trump has talked about making Canada a “51st state” of the US and recently ordered the US government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” as Canada seeks to diversify amid the increasingly hostile policy toward his country from the Trump administration.

In the Wall Street Journal account relayed by 1News.az, Carney’s effort is aimed at reducing Canada’s dependence on the United States amid worsening trade relations caused by Washington’s imposition of 50 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, cars, auto parts and steel.

Al Jazeera added that Carney is seeking to “strengthen Canada’s ties with the EU in trade, investment, and security,” while Canada also pushes for an arrangement that would allow Canadians to live and work in Europe without visas. A