Von der Leyen invites Canada to become first EU "associate member"
Von der Leyen on 16 September 2026 proposed a new "associate member" status for Canada to deepen ties with the EU.
On 16 September 2026 Ursula von der Leyen invited Canada to become the first "associate member" of the European Union, proposing a new formal link between the bloc and a non-European country.
Because Canada is not a European state it cannot join the EU as a full member, and EU officials have in recent months explored alternative formats for closer cooperation with like-minded partners.
On 16 September 2026 von der Leyen conferred on Canada the status described as an "associate member".
Statement in the European Parliament
"I invite Canada to be the first associate member of the EU," von der Leyen said during her address to the European Parliament, putting a clear public marker on the proposal.
The move frames a diplomatic effort to deepen ties with a longstanding transatlantic partner while acknowledging the constitutional limits that prevent non-European states from becoming full EU members.
EU institutions will need to define what the new status entails and how it would be implemented, but the announcement signals political will at the top of the European Commission to pursue an unprecedented form of partnership.
Photo: DPA)
