EU floats Canada as first associate member amid Trump trade tensions

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has floated the idea of making Canada the first “associate member” of the European Union, offering Prime Minister Mark Carney a political boost as he remains locked in a trade war with US President Donald Trump. But while the proposal signals a push for closer ties between the EU and Canada, such a category does not formally exist within the bloc.

Von der Leyen made the offer while calling for a rethink of global partnerships, saying on Wednesday, “In this new world, we must urgently reimagine our partnerships.” She then told Carney, “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada being the first associate member of the EU.” The idea also comes as the EU looks to strengthen ties with another Western democracy at a time when its trust in the United States is weakening.

Although “associate membership” has not been defined, the EU does have Association Agreements with more than 20 countries, including Albania, Israel and Ukraine. These treaties govern relations on trade and security and are often seen as an important step towards membership. It remains unclear how von der Leyen’s proposal would differ from such arrangements, or whether Canada would first need to agree to a treaty of that kind.

Any Association Agreement, as well as wider decisions on EU enlargement and formal ties with non-member countries, requires the unanimous approval of all 27 member states. Von der Leyen did not widely consult on the proposal before making it, and securing backing for such a vague idea could prove difficult. Even among governments that favour stronger ties with Canada, there is caution. German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said Berlin welcomed the idea but had reservations about what such a relationship should be called. “We are open to discussing new partnership models,” he said. “But we should rethink the concept, the title that is connected with this.” In May, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had urged the EU to consider associate membership for war-hit Ukraine as a way to revive efforts to end more than four years of conflict with Russia, though Ukraine is seeking full membership. Ireland’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Helen McEntee, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said her government was ready “to explore associate membership for Canada”. David McAllister, who chairs the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said the proposal’s “concrete terms now need careful assessment”.

Carney welcomed the invitation, though he also said the form of the arrangement still needed to be worked out. “We’re going to better define the broad lines of this new alliance,” he said at the European Parliament on Thursday, adding that the EU-Canada summit in Montreal on October 29-30 would be a good place to start. “What matters is the substance. What are we actually building together, how do we combine our strengths in a way that serves our people better, protects our fundamental rights and creates prosperity,” Carney said. He also made clear, “Canada is not in a position, nor seeking, to become a full member of the European Union.”

The proposal drew a sharp reaction from Trump, who suggested that allowing Canada to become an associate EU member could be a “hostile act” and warned of more trade restrictions on the bloc. He said that if European leaders were acting out of “a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.” Carney said Canada was not trying to create a bloc that would become “a great power rival, only with better manners”, and neither he nor von der Leyen referred to Trump by name in their speeches. Fabian Zuleeg, chief executive of the European Policy Centre think tank, said Trump’s reaction showed the new EU-Canada partnership mattered, but added that the real test would be in the details. “The label must now be filled with concrete substance, not remain another announcement,” he said. In sum, the proposal has opened the door to a possible new EU-Canada framework, but its meaning, legal basis and support within the bloc remain uncertain.