What we know (and still don't) about Canada's 'associate membership'

By&nbspJorge Liboreiro Published on 19/09/2026 - GMT+2 The idea of making Canada the European Union's first "associate member" has caused a furore. Here's what we know and still don't know. It's the head-turning, eye-popping announcement of the week: Ursula von der Leyen has invited Canada to make history -ever "associate member" of the European Union. "We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible," the European Commission president said in her State of the Union speech. The following day, speaking from the same lectern in Strasbourg, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country "welcomes" the offer and hailed the dawn of an "alliance for the future". "Europe and Canada are stronger together," he said. The back-to-back speeches made international headlines, caused a political furore, inspired countless memes and even caught Donald Trump's attention. But they also left many burning questions unanswered. Here's what we know – and still don't know – about the splashy idea. There's just no precedent The concept of "associate membership" is not envisioned in the EU treaties as such. And since it does not exist on paper, there is no precise playbook that Brussels can follow to make it reality. A similar dilemma emerged earlier this year when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed making Ukraine an "associate member" of the bloc. This, he said, should grant observer status in the decision-making bodies, gradual access to some EU programmes and mutual assistance in the event of a future attack. Merz's surprise pitch received mixed reviews from capitals and was rebuffed by Kyiv, which worried the half-in, half-out rank would plunge it into accession limbo. Commission officials say von der Leyen's vision fundamentally differs from Merz's because it is designed for countries outside Europe's geographic sphere that wish to be politically and economically closer to the bloc. Brussels is confident the ground-breaking concept can be designed from scratch without the need to revise the EU treaties, a perilous avenue. Some have suggested that a possible way forward lies with Article 217 of the EU treaties, which holds that "The Union may conclude with one or more third countries or international organisations agreements establishing an association involving reciprocal rights and obligations, common action and special procedure." Carney, meanwhile, said the set-up should be "open enough that others can join". It's not enlargement One thing Carney made sure to stress is that his country would not pursue the conventional full-time membership that Ukraine, Moldova and other candidates are seeking.