EU Chief Opens Door for Canada To Become Associate Member

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she wanted to work on “opening the door” for Canada to become the EU’s first associate member, according to BBC. She told the European Parliament on Wednesday that closer ties could cover energy, critical minerals, batteries, AI, cyber and economic security, and said the proposal was “not a partnership against anyone else, but for our common strength.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who attended the annual keynote speech in Strasbourg, last week spoke of seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU as relations with the US and Donald Trump remain tense. Von der Leyen also said the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes” on issues including AI, climate change, geopolitics, Ukraine, defence, raw materials and supply chains. She separately proposed a European Security Council that would include the UK and Ukraine.