Could Canada become the EU’s first associate member? What we know

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed opening the door for Canada to become the European Union's first associate member, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Canada is seeking a unique alliance with the EU rather than full membership following a breakdown in Canada-US trade relations. Von der Leyen invited Carney to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg to discuss deepening ties across technology, defence, energy and the Arctic, with the partnership aiming to integrate defence industrial bases and establish a tech alliance without seeking to antagonise US President Donald Trump. In her annual address, von der Leyen also backed calls for a pause in frontier AI development to address growing national security risks.