Von der Leyen: EU and Canada building unique partnership

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed creating a special format of associate membership for Canada in the European Union. This would bring bilateral relations as close as possible to full membership without Canada actually joining the bloc, according to Report's European bureau.

"We want to take our relationship to the highest possible level," she said at a press conference following the EU-Canada summit in Montreal.

She explained that the idea was to establish an association without accession, as the EU's current treaties do not allow countries outside Europe to become members of the bloc.

"We can replace the concept of accession with a shared ambition and vision. We can build a close partnership that will be closer to membership than anything we have done so far," the European Commission president said.

She outlined three main goals for such cooperation: expanding opportunities for people on both sides, increasing prosperity across the Atlantic and strengthening shared security. The partnership is expected to focus on three areas: political engagement, participation in EU programmes and mechanisms for managing cooperation.

Von der Leyen stressed that the current geopolitical context requires closer coordination between the EU and Canada, noting that a country's geographical location is now less important than its willingness to act jointly and share common values.

Von der Leyen's proposal had earlier sparked disagreements within the EU, with Germany, France, Italy and Greece opposing the inclusion of the concept of associate membership in the summit's joint declaration. As a result, the wording was removed from the final document and replaced with a commitment to develop an "ever closer association" between the EU and Canada.