Published: 13-10-2026
On 16 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed opening the door for Canada to become the European Union’s first “associate member”. The announcement was made during her annual State of the Union address at the European Parliament, attended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as a special guest and the first non-European leader to participate in this event.
It is important to emphasise, however, that this remains a proposal at this stage. The concept of associate membership does not currently exist under the EU Treaties, meaning that the rights and obligations associated with such a status have yet to be defined.
What Would Becoming an Associate Member of the EU Entail?
Although the category of “associate member” does not yet have a precise legal definition, it could be expected to occupy an intermediate position between EU Member States and third countries. Its purpose would therefore be to establish closer cooperation than that which the Union currently maintains with the latter.
However, Canada should not be expected to enjoy all the benefits of the single market or the four fundamental freedoms (the free movement of people, goods, services and capital).
- Impact on everyday life: Canadian citizens would not, in principle, be entitled to move, reside or work within the EU with the same freedom and rights as citizens of the 27 Member States, nor would EU citizens necessarily enjoy equivalent rights in Canada.
- Border controls and mobility: Travelling to Canada would not be equivalent to travelling within the Schengen Area or between EU countries. The actual scope of any changes concerning visas, work permits or the recognition of qualifications would depend entirely on the specific terms agreed during the negotiation process.
Canada as the EU’s First Associate Member
The European Union’s primary objective in making this proposal is to forge a strategic alliance that enables mutual cooperation in areas such as defence, technological development, artificial intelligence and energy, among others.
Such an association would also represent a step beyond the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which has been provisionally applied since 2017. CETA is currently one of the most ambitious and advanced bilateral trade agreements concluded by the EU. Its framework eliminates the vast majority of tariffs, opens up services markets and public procurement opportunities to both parties, and facilitates trade through the mutual recognition of standards.
However, CETA is essentially limited to economic, trade and investment matters. The new proposal for “associate membership” seeks to go beyond these existing regulatory limits by extending the relationship to encompass geopolitical cooperation, security and strategic defence.
Ultimately, the aim is to build an “Alliance for the Future to create a common space of prosperity and economic security”, as the President stated during her address.
For the time being, discussions on this new category of relationship are expected to continue. The EU–Canada summit scheduled to take place in Montreal in late October will serve as the main forum for both parties to make progress on the details of this potential future alliance.
Contact:
Santiago Randazzo Clavijo
Global Mobility Legal Advisor at Gentile Law
santiagorandazzo@gentile.law
+34 684 46 30 82
Lais Verissimo Galvan
Global Mobility Paralegal at Gentile Law
laisverissimo@gentile.law
+34 684 46 37 36
Tania González Lozano
paralegalgm@gentile.law
+34 684 46 37 36