EU proposes Canada as associate member

In an unprecedented offer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed opening the door for Canada to become the first "associate member" of the European Union.

In her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said the EU and Canada would seek to upgrade their ties from the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement to an "Alliance for the Future", covering manufacturing, technology, defense, the Arctic, energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI).

Insisting it would not be a partnership against anyone else, she told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who attended the address, that the EU hopes to elevate its relationship with Canada to the highest level possible.