Canada aims to become EU’s first ‘associate member’ by June 2027, Carney says

The proposed status, which has no basis in the EU treaties, is intended to bring the two allies closer across three areas: policy, programmes and governance. Its practical implications, however, remain to be negotiated.

Ahead of the summit, Germany opposed the term “associate member” during negotiations on a joint declaration. The final text instead refers to an “ever closer association”. Carney, however, appeared determined to pursue the vision.

“We are working towards the deepest possible partnership short of accession, because of our geography, with Canada becoming the European Union’s first associate member,” Carney said at the closing press conference.

“In the coming months, we will determine the full substance, scale and scope of this new form of membership,” he added.

Standing alongside him was European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who surprised EU capitals in September by proposing that Canada become the bloc’s first-ever associate member. The idea had not been broadly discussed with member states beforehand.

Carney, who was in the audience for her announcement, initially appeared reluctant to embrace the proposal amid concerns over its implications for Canadian sovereignty.

On Friday, however, he defended the term.

“Today, we move towards associate membership for Canada, and we launch a new alliance for the future that will deliver now and in the future with like-minded nations,” he said. “We’re just getting started.”

Von der Leyen pointed to several immediate benefits, including Canada’s full integration into the Horizon and Erasmus programmes, and the €90 billion support loan for Ukraine.

The summit also expanded cooperation on digital trade, energy, critical raw materials, supercomputing, artificial intelligence and satellite technology.

“The concept of an associate member is uncharted territory, but we have the ambition, trust and creativity to shape it together,” von der Leyen said.

“And to be crystal clear: this is a partnership, not against anyone else, but for our common strength. Bilaterally, this is the highest form of partnership.”

The European Commission and Canadian government will hold a college-to-cabinet meeting in the spring to flesh out the proposal. Carney is then expected to attend an EU leaders’ summit in June, when he hopes to conclude the negotiations.

How the arrangement would be ratified across Europe remains unclear. Carney has previously pledged to put the proposal to a vote in the Canadian parliament.

Asked about Germany’s opposition, von der Leyen sidestepped the question, saying there was “broad support” among member states for bringing Canada closer to the bloc.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was the first to float an “associate member” definition in the context of Ukraine’s own EU aspirations. Kyiv rejected the idea, saying it wants to be a full-time member.

Commission officials suspect Berlin’s resistance to von der Leyen’s initiative stems from the fact that Merz considers it his own.

“We would have loved to discuss full-fledged membership, but it is impossible. We know that,” von der Leyen said, referring to EU treaties, which reserve membership for European states.

“This is the start of an intense work that we see here. We have the vision. We have an idea. We have to develop the framework. We have to fill it with life.”

European Council President António Costa, who represents the collective position of EU countries, notably avoided the term “associate member”, sticking instead to the joint declaration’s wording of an “ever closer association”.

“Our relationship is so special that we want to create something new, to go beyond a simple association,” Costa said.

“Our association will be the closest, deepest and most unique of its kind.”

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