Last Updated on 2026-09-17 08:39 EDT
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become the first associate member, a status that does not exist under the bloc’s treaties.
“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 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.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled to Strasbourg, , and became the first foreign head of government to attend the European Commission’s State of the Union address.
Elsewhere: Politico / The Guardian / RFi / France 24 / BBC
Euronews: Canada invited to become first ‘associate member’ of the EU
Video: State of the European Union address
Dear @mark-carney.bsky.social, we want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible. I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to being the first associate member of the EU. And create a common prosperity and economic security space.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu) 2026-09-16T08:27:03.406Z