EU chief calls for Canada to become bloc’s first ‘associate member’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on Canada to become the European Union’s first “associate member,” a strong show of support for Prime Minster Mark Carney’s bid to forge deeper ties with the bloc.

Ms. von der Leyen went further than expected with the offer Wednesday during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Mr. Carney said Sunday, when the idea was first made public, that Canada is not seeking membership in the EU.

Mr. Carney was in attendance Wednesday and has been assiduously courting EU leaders in an effort to counterbalance ongoing trade tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump, pushing the notion of a “unique alliance” with the EU.

Mr. Trump said late Wednesday that if Canada becomes the first associate member of the EU, it would be a “hostile act,” adding that, if it is done with “bad intentions,” he may respond with tariffs.

The novel category of associate membership is not mentioned in the founding treaties or legal framework of the EU, nor is it clear whether it would yield any quantifiable economic gains for Canada or require Ottawa to cede any sovereignty for moving into closer contact with the EU.

And Canada’s opposition parties say any new alliance with the bloc needs the approval of Parliament.

Ms. von der Leyen told members of the European Parliament, “We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible … we must urgently reimagine our partnerships. So I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to being the first associate member of the European Union.”

That remark received prolonged applause, and Mr. Carney was invited to the podium to shake hands with the President.

Ms. von der Leyen told the MEPs that the EU wants to move from the existing Canada-EU trade treaty − the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA − and create “a common prosperity and economic security space.”

The two sides will work together on intelligent manufacturing, creating a technology alliance, integrating defence production and making the Arctic a “flagship joint project,” she said. Discussions will also focus on energy, critical minerals, batteries, artificial intelligence and quantum science, as well as cyber and economic security.

In a reference to Mr. Trump, she added: “This is not a partnership against anyone else. But for our common strength.”

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In Ottawa, the Conservatives and the NDP reacted to Ms. von der Leyen’s ambitious proposal by cautioning that Mr. Carney should not commit Canada to associate membership in the EU without seeking the approval of Parliament.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said in an X post that he would reject submitting to EU regulations and that Canada must remain “independent and sovereign.”

Shuvaloy Majumdar, the Conservative critic for Canada-U.S. relations, noted that Mr. Carney’s 2025 campaign platform did not talk about obtaining any category of membership in the EU.

“Parliament should be consulted. It should be brought before the House to be considered,” Mr. Majumdar said.

“Do we want European rules? Do we want European regulation? Do we want European Union taxes?” the MP asked. “To what degree is the Prime Minister offering up Canadian sovereignty to become the 28th member of the European Union?”

NDP press secretary Sam Hersh said his party feels Parliament should have the final say on a new relationship with the EU.

“It’s unacceptable that Canadians are learning about Mark Carney’s interest in a new political relationship with Europe through news coverage of his visit to the European Parliament, rather than an address to Canada’s House of Commons,” Mr. Hersh said in a statement. “New Democrats support stronger economic ties with Europe, but the place to have that debate is here in Canada, on the floor of the House of Commons.”

Neither Ms. von der Leyen nor Mr. Carney offered details about what this new relationship would look like or how it would differ from arrangements the EU has with other non-member countries such as Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.

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Those arrangements provide access to the EU’s single market and guarantee the free movement of people, workers and capital. But all three of those countries contribute to the EU’s budget and must adhere to EU regulations, without any say. Mr. Carney has reportedly ruled out the option over fears of giving up too much sovereignty.

Mr. Carney’s spokesperson, Audrey Champoux, issued a statement that welcomed Ms. von der Leyen’s proposal as one that both sides could define together − but noted that she was referring to it as an alliance for the future.

Canada’s ambassador-designate to the EU, Jonathan Wilkinson, played down Ms. von der Leyen’s use of the term “associate member,” saying the terms don’t really matter until the proposal is better defined.

“I think we’re still a ways away from actually landing on what we think is the best way to describe it,” he said.

The EU has association agreements with more than 20 countries. Those deals offer varying degrees of market access and obligations but in many cases took decades to negotiate. They also require the approval of all 27 member states, which can be tortuous. While CETA, the trade deal with Canada, was signed in 2016, it still hasn’t been ratified by 10 EU members including France, Italy and Ireland.

“Nobody knows what it will be exactly because, as the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said, it will be the first associate member,” said Javier Moreno Sánchez, a Spanish MEP who chairs the parliamentary delegation for relations with Canada.

Mr. Moreno Sánchez ruled out the possibility of Canada electing MEPs or having representatives on various EU commissions. But he said the relationship would likely go beyond an association agreement.

“We have to be creative and work together to fulfill this status,” he said. “What is important is the political signal we send to the world, saying that we want to be very close.”

He acknowledged some MEPs have questioned the legality of this status, since it is not outlined in the Treaty on European Union, one of the bloc’s founding documents. However, he said the EU has been able to work outside the treaty before, such as when it launched the euro and developed the Schengen Agreement on free movement. “When there is the political willingness, we can do it.”

This new membership status could also be a template for other countries such as Britain, Japan or Australia, he added.

Not all MEPs welcomed the idea of special treatment for Canada.

“How is it possible that the United Kingdom does not have priority when it comes to becoming an associate member?” said MEP Nicola Procaccini, a member of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, which is led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

During his speech to the chamber, Mr. Procaccini also criticized Ms. von der Leyen for “bowing to Prime Minister Carney.”

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Jordan Bardella, the president of France’s populist National Rally, took aim at the EU’s leadership and said the “current system is reaching its end.”

“When the money is European, the jobs need to be in Europe. When the money is French, the jobs need to be in France,” he told MEPs.

Both the Brothers of Italy and the National Rally are Euroskeptic parties, though Ms. Meloni has softened her stand somewhat and now calls herself a “Eurorealist.”

In the U.S., Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine also sounded a negative note Wednesday about Canada seeking a deeper alliance with the EU.

“That doesn’t help rebuild the good relationship that we once had and that I want us to have again,” she told CBC News.

Mr. Carney left France on Wednesday night for Liverpool, where he attended a soccer match between Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, an ardent Everton supporter. It marked the first time the leaders have met since Mr. Burnham took over as Prime Minister in July. They were expected to talk about closer ties with Europe, NATO and trade.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Wednesday that Canada has applied to join Britain’s Joint Expeditionary Force, the U.K.-led military coalition of 10 countries focused on Arctic and North Atlantic security.

Mr. Carney was scheduled to return to France after the game and will give a speech to the European Parliament on Thursday.

Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University, said associate membership in the EU is unlikely to give Canada any protection from Mr. Trump’s economic attacks. Even though the collective market power of Europe and Canada is bigger than that of China or the U.S., he said, EU members have repeatedly failed to stand up for this country in the face of punitive U.S. tariffs and bans on Canadian goods.

“They have been constantly pushing the mute button when Donald Trump has taken a swipe at us.”

With files from The Canadian Press