Details emerge on Canada’s ‘associate membership’ EU offer, as Brexit UK left looking on

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney welcomed the EU’s offer of associate member status on Thursday (17 September), as detail slowly emerges on what such an unprecedented partnership could look like. Without explicitly requesting ‘associate member’ status, Carney told MEPs in Strasbourg that Canada “welcomes this ambition” which was set out by EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen during her state of the union speech the day before. “An alliance for the future is a unique, positive approach that we will define together,” he said, adding that “an overwhelming majority of Canadians support much closer ties with Europe”. Trump anxiety EUobserver understands that von der Leyen did not consult EU governments before making the offer to Canada and there is anxiety in some EU capitals that cosying up to Carney could inflame Donald Trump into re-starting his tariff war with Europe. Von der Leyen’s offer has already prompted an angry reaction from the US president. “If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday evening. He also dismissed Canada as a “terrible trade partner” and described the idea of its joining the EU as “laughable”, although the EU treaties and Canada’s geography preclude Ottawa actually joining the bloc. Nor do the EU treaties include any mention of the ‘associate membership’ offered to Canada by von der Leyen. Consequently, there is little clarity on precisely what could change in EU-Canada relations. To read this story, log in or subscribeEnjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a subscriber for as low as €1,75 per week.Read without limitsAlready a subscriber? Login