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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has backed proposals for Canada to become the European Union’s first “associate member”, opening the door to closer cooperation between the two sides.
Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, von der Leyen said she wanted to work on “opening the door” for Canada, which would involve closer ties in several key sectors.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney last week said he was seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU, as relations between Canada and the United States under President Donald Trump remain tense.
Without mentioning Trump by name, von der Leyen said offering Canada a form of EU membership would be “not a partnership against anyone else, but for our common strength”.
“Partnerships are a strategic choice for Europe. But they also respond to the fracture in the international rules-based system,” she said.
Carney attended the annual State of the Union address in Strasbourg and is due to address the European Parliament on Thursday.
Trade talks between Canada and the US collapsed last month, triggering a series of new tariff measures.
Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes”, including on issues ranging from artificial intelligence and climate change to 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,” she said.
She identified energy, critical minerals, batteries, AI, cyber security and economic security as other potential areas for cooperation.
The move comes as EU members have also been hit by trade tariffs imposed under the Trump administration.
Von der Leyen also proposed establishing a European Security Council that would include the UK and Ukraine, citing the continuing security threat posed by Russia.
“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.
“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.” Source: BBC News