Arabic version: الاتحاد الأوروبي يفتح الباب أمام كندا لتصبح أول عضو منتسب
According to Cnbc, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become the 27-nation bloc’s first associate member. The proposal signals a major deepening of ties between Brussels and Ottawa.
In her annual State of the European Union address in Strasbourg, France, von der Leyen said the bloc wanted to bring its relationship with Canada “to the highest level possible.” Addressing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who attended the speech, she said she wanted to work on opening the door for Canada to become the EU’s first associate member.
Carney is due to address EU lawmakers on Thursday. He had previously said Canada wanted a “unique security and economic alliance” with Europe, while not seeking full membership. Canada is locked in a trade war with the United States and has pledged to match President Donald Trump’s tariffs dollar for dollar.
Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes” and would work together on artificial intelligence, climate change, geopolitics and Arctic security. The two already have the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, which eliminated 99% of tariff lines when it provisionally took effect in 2017.
“We will move from CETA to an alliance for the future, to create a common prosperity and economic security space,” von der Leyen said. Berenberg chief economist Holger Schmieding described the proposal as “a big step,” saying Europe was seeking deeper partnerships with like-minded countries while reducing dependence on the U.S. and China.
