EU chief floats 'associate membership' for Canada. But that doesn't exist yet

EU chief floats 'associate membership' for Canada. But that doesn't exist yet

BRUSSELS (AP) — By opening the door this week for Canada to become the first "associate member" of the European Union, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered Prime Minister Mark Carney hope, but also an illusion.

There are many ways to take steps toward joining the world's biggest trade bloc, or to deepen trade or political ties with it, but associate membership isn't one of them. It simply does not exist.

Still, no matter how vague, von der Leyen's offer was a win for Carney, who is locked in a trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump. It also offers the EU a firm partnership with another Western democracy as its own ties with and trust in its old ally the United States fade.

"In this new world, we must urgently reimagine our partnerships," von der Leyen said on Wednesday. Then she did exactly that, saying to Carney: "I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada being the first associate member of the EU."

Did she mean Association Agreement?

While "associate membership" is yet to be defined, Association Agreements do exist. More than 20 countries — ranging from Albania to Israel to Ukraine — already have them with the bloc.

These treaties govern relations on trade and security and are seen as an important step toward membership. It's unclear how von der Leyen's proposal of associate membership would differ, or whether Canada would have to agree to such a treaty first.

Only EU member countries can rule on enlargement and treaties

Association Agreements and any other decisions over enlarging the EU and its formal relations with the outside world require the unanimous approval of all 27 EU member countries, and von der Leyen did not consult widely about her proposal of associate membership.

Getting all 27 countries behind the offer, especially one this vague, will pose a major challenge.

Even among those who support stronger ties with Canada, there are concerns. German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said that Berlin welcomes the idea but that it has reservations — at least about the name the new relationship might be given.

"We are open to discussing new partnership models," he said after von der Leyen's speech. "But we should rethink the concept, the title that is connected with this."

In May, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged the EU to consider offering associate membership to conflict-torn Ukraine to breathe new life into talks aimed at ending more than four years of war with Russia. Ukraine is seeking full membership, nothing less.