Could Canada become a member of the European Union? Probably not, but the two
governments are interested in forming what they call a “unique alliance.”
(In this case, “alliance” means an agreement to work together toward common goals.)
The European Union (EU) is an association of 27 countries, mostly located in Europe, united
under a common government. They all use the same currency (the Euro).
People and goods from those countries can travel freely across borders within the EU. There are also
certain laws and policies that all members of the EU agree to follow.
On Sept. 16, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission (the EU’s central
government) said in a speech that the EU wanted to strengthen its relationship with Canada.
She invited Canada to become the first “associate member” of the EU.
Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, gave a speech to the European Commission the
next day. He said Canada that wants to become more resilient (able to recover quickly from problems or changes) so no one can control who Canada trades with, or interfere with our rights and laws, or threaten to take over our country.
He said Canada and the EU share many common values, and building a stronger alliance would
create more opportunities for both sides.
Many people believe the discussion between Canada and the EU is a response to actions taken
by the United States under their president, Donald Trump, over the past two years. Trump has broken
trade agreements with Canada and the EU and put tariffs on goods from those countries
that are imported (brought) into the United States.
He has also made threats about taking over Greenland—a territory of Denmark, which is part of the EU—or making Canada part of the United States.
For many years, Canada and the EU have traded extensively with the United States and
cooperated with the US on military matters. Now, they want to become less dependent on the
US and to strengthen their cooperation with each other instead.
There are many areas where both Canada and the EU could benefit from working together.
Canada can provide things that the EU needs, like minerals, liquified natural gas, and hydrogen.
The two sides would also work together to develop things like clean energy technology, independent data systems and AI safety standards, educational exchange programs, financial services, vaccines, and Arctic defence.
Olof Gill, a spokesperson for the European Commission, said the plan build a closer relationship
between Canada and the EU is “not against anyone else, but for our common strength.”
THINK & DISCUSS
The EU is an association of 27 countries. Can you do some research and name them?
Canada isn’t “joining” the EU. But it is interested in an alliance. What is the difference? What would change for Canada or for the EU?
List some of the pros (good things) and cons (bad things) about Canada joining the EU as an associate member.
Several times, this article mentions “goods.” What does the author mean by “goods” in the article?
Ursula von der Leyen is the president of the European Commission. What is it and what does it do? Where is it located?
Why do you think Canada was invited to be the very first “associate member” of the EU?
Do you think this invitation is significant? Why or why not?
Canada has a trade agreement with the United States, which Donald Trump agreed when he was in office the first time. That agreement is called CUSMA. However, Trump has done some things that go against that agreement. Can you think of some ways in which that may that have affected Canada’s decision to find alliances other than the United States?
This article is from Canada’s viewpoint. The author of the article and the owner of TKN, while professional journalists who follow journalistic guidelines including those about bias and accuracy, are both Canadian. How do you think this article might have been reported from another country’s point of view — for instance the United States? A country in Europe? Russia? Australia?
Take a look at the articles below, from Canada, Qatar, England and the United States. In what ways does their reporting differ? In what ways is it the same? Can you find articles from other countries on this topic?
RELATED INFORMATION
Financial Post article: What would being an ‘associate member’ of the EU mean for the Canadian economy and businesses?https://financialpost.com/news/economy/associate-member-eu-mean-canada-economy-businesses
Al Jazeera article: Canadians warm to EU ‘associate membership’ proposal https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/19/canadians-warm-to-eu-associate-membership-proposal
BBC article: Canada welcomes EU proposal to become ‘associate member’
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwly7vkke4jxo
New York Times article: E.U. Talks of Making Canada First ‘Associate Member’ as U.S. Ties Weaken
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/world/europe/eu-canada-associate-member.html
