EU opens door for Canada to become its first associate member, von der Leyen says

BRUSSELS: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become its first “associate member”, a status that is not set out in the bloc’s treaties. Von der Leyen’s announcement is a significant shift in EU policy. The bloc has historically resisted flexible categories and EU members were lukewarm in reacting to Germany’s proposal in May of associate membership for Ukraine as a stepping stone to full accession. “Partnerships are a strategic choice for Europe. But they also respond to the fracture in the international rules-based system,“ von der Leyen said in her annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “We see the world with the same eyes: from AI to climate change, from the Arctic to geopolitics. And we have stood together: on Ukraine, on defence, on raw materials and on supply chains. But above all…Europe and Canada believe in democracy.” Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this week Canada was seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU but not membership. Von der Leyen invited Carney to join her in Strasbourg and he will make his own address on Thursday. Carney’s Eu