Costa shares von der Leyen's associate-member ambition, whatever the term
António CostaPresident of the European Council, speech to the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations
Costa says he shares von der Leyen's ambition for Canada whatever the arrangement is called, and says the association will be the closest the EU has.
“President von der Leyen even put forward this bold idea of making Canada an "associate member" of the European Union. I share her ambition. Whether it is this term or another, one thing is clear: our association will be the closest, the deepest and the most unique there is. (Translated from French. Original: La présidente von der Leyen a même avancé cette idée audacieuse de faire du Canada un « membre associé » de l’Union européenne. Je partage son ambition. Que ce soit ce terme ou un autre, une chose est claire : notre association sera la plus étroite, la plus profonde et la plus unique qui soit.)”
Original text
Other statements by António Costa in this case
- European Council President António Costa says associate membership means the EU wants to do more with CanadaEarlier: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Should Canada become an associate member of the European Union?
In her State of the European Union address on 16 September 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would like to work with Prime Minister Mark Carney on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the European Union, as part of moving beyond the existing CETA trade agreement to what she called an Alliance for the Future. Carney, present as an invited guest, told the European Parliament the following day that Canada welcomes the ambition, while attributing the associate-member phrase to von der Leyen rather than adopting it, and promised debates and a vote in the Canadian Parliament on the final structure. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre set red lines against Canadians paying taxes to Brussels, following European laws they did not vote on, or adopting European immigration policy. United States President Donald Trump said that if he judged the arrangement a hostile act he would impose heavy tariffs on Europe or curtail trade. No agreement has been signed, and associate membership is not a status defined in the European Union's treaties.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
French text of European Council President António Costa's October 29, 2026 speech to the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations on the eve of the EU-Canada summit, published by the Council of the European Union.
Before the quotation
Costa says the EU and Canada will launch an Alliance for the Future the next day, an ever closer association that goes beyond a simple association without full membership of the Union. (translation)
After the quotation
He says the two sides commit to concrete results for citizens, including more security, stronger and more resilient economies and technological leadership. (translation)
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to whether Canada should become an associate member of the European Union, Costa supports the ambition while leaving the name of the arrangement open. The open question concerns the label, not his support for the closer association.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full caseCarleton's Achim Hurrelmann doubts an associate-member status for Canada can be set up soon
“I'm not sure if a status with that name can be established for Canada any time soon”Read statement
Poilievre says the summit cut no tariffs and warns against aligning Canada with European policies
“Worse, there was lots of talk at the summit about aligning Canada with the insane European taxes, debt, immigration and anti-oil and gas policies that have left parts of Europe bankrupt and burning.”Read statement
German ambassador says the two sides should give the associate-member label real content
“The president of the commission and the prime minister are using the term associated membership, so let's fill that name with life and see what it can be about. I think we should not be distracted by the label in question from the important content that has been agreed today”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Costa shares von der Leyen's associate-member ambition, whatever the term
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/7246-costa-says-he-shares-von-der-leyen-s
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Costa shares von der Leyen's associate-member ambition, whatever the term". First published: 2026-10-30. Last updated: 2026-10-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/7246-costa-says-he-shares-von-der-leyen-s