EU Considers Canada as First 'Associate Member'

<img alt="Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney listens to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her annual State of the Union address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Sept. 16, 2026. Von der Leyen proposed opening the door for Canada to become the EU" src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8256x5504+0+0/resize/8256x5504!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7d%2Fff%2Fd810a362425492097b6bbb08af9f%2Fgettyimages-2294992860.jpg" /><p>The European Union's top official, Ursula von der Leyen, supports Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's initiative for Canada to become the EU's first "associate member." This move aims to strengthen relations between Canada and the EU in response to increasing pressure from the United States.</p><p>(Image credit: Jean-Christophe-Verhaegen)</p><img src="https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5971043" />