European Union Offers First Associate Membership Status to Canada

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed that Canada become the bloc’s first associate member. This strategic move was announced on Wednesday (16/9) local time as an effort to strengthen the economies of both parties amidst increasing trade tensions with the United States.

Currently, Canada is caught in a trade dispute with the US, its largest trading partner. This situation adds urgency for Ottawa to move closer to the European Union (EU). On the other asides, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st US state. This notion has been flatly rejected by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Carney attended as a guest during von der Leyen’s state speech in Strasbourg, France. In her address, von der Leyen emphasised the importance of restructuring global partnerships for the sake of democratic resilience. “In short, we want to take the relationship with Canada to the highest possible level,” she asserted.

Although von der Leyen stated that this cooperation is not aimed at opposing any particular party, President Donald Trump has responded harshly. Trump threatened to impose heavy tariffs on the European Union if they allow Canada to become an associate member, which he considers a hostile act.

“If the intention is good, it is no problem. If the intention is bad, we will impose very heavy tariffs on Europe,” Trump told reporters.

Culturally and politically, Canada shares deep similarities with the European model, ranging from parliamentary democratic systems to universal healthcare. Canada even shares a small land border with Europe via Hans Island (a Danish territory) off the coast of Greenland.

However, the primary obstacle is geographical, as Canada is not located on the European continent. According to EU accession rules, candidate countries must be located in Europe and receive unanimous approval from the 27 member states. Currently, the formal status of ‘associate member’ does not yet exist within the EU’s legal structure, meaning this alliance is predicted to be a unique and unprecedented form of partnership.

Several points currently under discussion in this partnership include:

Data from the European Commission shows that bilateral trade in goods and services reached €130.8 billion (approximately Rp2,200 trillion) last year, surging by more than 80% over the last decade. The EU’s main exports to Canada include automobiles and pharmaceuticals, while Canada exports crude oil and critical minerals to Europe.

A recent survey from Abacus Data shows that approximately 80% of Canadians support strengthening cooperation with the EU. Furthermore, 56% of respondents feel that Canada shares more similarities with European nations than with the United States.

However, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s move has faced sharp criticism from domestic opposition. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre described the effort as unrealistic. Via a post on the social media platform X, he asserted, “We will never be the 51st US state, and we will never be the 28th EU state.”