Von der Leyen calls associate membership uncharted territory to shape together
Ursula von der LeyenPresident of the European Commission, closing news conference of the EU-Canada summit in Montreal
At the summit's closing news conference, von der Leyen called associate membership uncharted territory that the EU and Canada can shape together. She said full membership is impossible under the EU treaties.
“The concept of an associate member is uncharted territory, but we have the ambition, trust and creativity to shape it together”
Reporting
Other statements by Ursula von der Leyen in this case
- Von der Leyen offers to open the door to Canadian associate membershipEarlier: Defended or excused
- Von der Leyen keeps pressing for Canadian associate membershipEarlier: 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
Reporting
About this source
Euronews report on the closing news conference of the EU-Canada summit in Montreal on October 30, 2026, quoting Mark Carney, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa on associate membership and reporting Carney's June 2027 target for concluding negotiations.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Speaking alongside Carney after the summit, von der Leyen listed benefits she said Canada would gain at once, including full participation in the Horizon and Erasmus programmes.
After the quotation
She said the partnership is not directed against anyone else. Asked about Germany's opposition to the term, she said there was broad support among member states for bringing Canada closer, and that the EU would have liked to discuss full membership but the treaties make it impossible.
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, von der Leyen keeps arguing for the status after the joint statement left the term out. Calling it uncharted territory describes how undefined it is, not a doubt about pursuing it.
- 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
- Von der Leyen calls associate membership uncharted territory to shape together
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/7442-at-the-summit-s-closing-news-conference-von
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Von der Leyen calls associate membership uncharted territory to shape together". First published: 2026-10-31. Last updated: 2026-10-31. https://disputeindex.com/events/7442-at-the-summit-s-closing-news-conference-von