Brussels faced an angry backlash today after unveiling unprecedented plans for Canada to become an “associate member” of the European Union without first seeking approval from the bloc’s member states.
EU diplomats told the Mail they had not been briefed and only discovered the proposal when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced it during a keynote address.
During her annual State of the Union speech to the European Parliament, von der Leyen repeatedly praised Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was in the chamber, and declared that Brussels wanted “to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible.”
Diplomats representing the EU’s 27 member states were reportedly stunned when she added: “Dear Mark, I said we must urgently reimagine our partnerships. So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU.
“We share one ocean, one set of values, one way of seeing the world. And we will now build our shared future as well – thank you for being here.”
But the attempt to charm the former Bank of England governor quickly backfired. Diplomats said they had never been consulted, while questioning whether “associate membership” exists as a formal EU category at all.
One EU diplomat told the Mail: “This bombastic announcement is just not right.
EU diplomats told the Mail they were not briefed and first heard about the proposal when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled it during a keynote speech today
Mark Carney looked on as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen lavished praise on him and Canada
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she wanted Canada to become an “associate member”, but EU diplomats noted that the category effectively does not exist
“There will be a summit at the end of October, so logically they will talk about deepening the relations.
“But no one has ever seen an associate membership and no idea what it means in practice.
“Canada is a valuable partner for the EU, one of the few currently in the world where we share the values, so it is nothing against Canada.
“But first and foremost the member states should be the ones to express what kind of relationship the EU wants to have with any third country.”
Another diplomat added: “She kept this bit of associate membership out of the text until the last moment.
‘She also did not mention it up front to EU member states.
‘It seems like she is a bit too far out in floating this.
‘Everyone is positive about Canada, and wants to strengthen the relationship.
‘But there is a lot of uncertainty about what von der Leyen envisages by coining this label.’
They added that, in reality, the most that can likely be hoped for is a deeper trading relationship rather than ‘associate membership’, which implies Canada taking part in EU programmes, becoming more politically integrated and potentially even having a say over the bloc’s rules.
Under EU law, any granting of membership would have to be approved by the 27 member states, which is another reason they were wrong-footed.
By contrast, Brussels has always rebuffed Britain for past attempts to ‘cherry pick’ the areas where it wants to align with the bloc while also diverging in other ways.
In her speech, Ms von der Leyen added: ‘Mark, your presence here is a symbol of the enduring friendship between our people.
‘Our cultural, historical and personal links run deep within the fabric of our societies.
‘And thanks to CETA (a trade pact), our trade in goods has grown by 75 per cent in less than a decade.
‘This shows the power of our trade agreements. 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, dear Mark, Europe and Canada believe in democracy.’
Greek former politician Yanis Varoufakis blasted Ms von der Leyen on X, saying: ‘Has she lost the very last of her remaining marbles? Ms von der Leyen offered Canada associate membership of the EU. That would have been fine if it were not for a tiny little snag: there is no such thing as associate membership of the EU!’
The move threatens to further sour relations between Brussels and Washington, with US President Donald Trump’s administration locked in an escalating trade war with Canada.
