In her State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes,” particularly on issues such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and 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.”
Von der Leyen identified manufacturing, technology, AI, defence, energy, critical minerals, and economic security as priority areas for cooperation under the proposed enhanced partnership.
The EU and Canada already share the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a free-trade deal that eliminates duties on 99% of goods exports between the two sides.
“We will move from CETA to an Alliance for the Future to create a common prosperity and economic security space,” von der Leyen said.
The announcement comes amid ongoing trade pressures, as EU member states have faced tariffs under the Trump administration, and as the bloc grapples with what von der Leyen described as “an openly hostile world.”
Outlining the EU’s political and policy priorities for the coming year, von der Leyen also proposed establishing a European Security Council that would include the UK and Ukraine, in response to the persistent threat posed by Russia to the continent.
“For a long time, we have discussed a leaders’ format focused on the security of our continent, with partners like Canada, Norway, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and others involved,” she said in the wide-ranging address.
“This is even more urgent now, given the nature and scale of the risks at play. This is why we will set out our ideas to make a European Security Council a reality.”
Beyond global security concerns, von der Leyen said many European families are anxious about the cost of living and the “dizzying speed of change” driven by technology and its effects on employment and society.
Additional proposals included inviting the world’s leading AI laboratories to discussions on how to support industry efforts in pacing the frontier of development, as well as reducing bureaucratic hurdles for businesses operating in the EU.
A new emergency mechanism to help member states better manage mass migration movements would also be detailed, following the deadly influx of migrants to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July.
Plans to limit social media use among children were also put forward, including a proposal to ban platforms for users under 13. Under the plan, children aged 13 to 15 would only be permitted to create social media accounts that are supervised by a parent or guardian.
