Bridging the Atlantic: Understanding Canada’s “Associate Membership” to the EU, with Reinier van Lanschot and Johan Adriaensen
The Power of Love
“A new science of politics is indispensable to a new world.” There is no doubt that Ursula von der Leyen had a somewhat similar idea to Alexis de Tocqueville’s sentence in Democracy in America, when proposing the “Associate Membership to the European Union” to the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney.
Here is what you need to know, in a nutshell, before you start reading this article:
On September 16th, in her annual speech on the State of the European Union (SOTEU), where she looks back on the past year and presents challenges ahead, the President of the European Commission proposed a new form of alliance between Canada and the EU: an “associate membership”. This first-of-its-kind status raised many questions among politicians, journalists, and informed citizens (like you). It would strengthen the EU-Canada relationship in strategic sectors and give Canada access to several European mechanisms, the modalities of which are still under debate. These elements come together in a context where Donald Trump’s USA has some hungry eyes on Canadian resources, and threatens to turn the country into the ‘51st American State’.
To shed some light on this complex political process, I asked a few of my questions to Johan Adriaensen, Associate Professor at Maastricht’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS), with great expertise on the EU institutional structure, and Reinier van Lanschot, Dutch Member of the European Parliament for the pan-European party Volt (member of the Greens/EFA group). And I promise, it is quite helpful to get some first-hand explanations.
A New Day Has Come
Many countries have some sort of partnership with the EU, revolving around trade, defense, or industry. The most well-known are the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) with countries like Norway and Iceland, or bilateral agreements with some states such as, among others, the UK. However, Johan explains that von der Leyen’s proposal is “quite a unique arrangement.” For him, the Commission president introduced the concept as “something separate”, as it aims “to be a signaling device to show the ambition to deepen ties between the EU and Canada.” This is also Reinier’s interpretation, who was lucky enough to attend the speech in Strasbourg’s hemicycle. “Europe and Canada share the same roots: democracy, rule of law, human rights, and solidarity. It is the opportunity to turn an already close relationship into a strong alliance”, he argued. Mark Carney also mentioned in his speech that “a single tree falls, but a forest does not”, to emphasize that this cooperation can make Europeans and Canadians stronger together. Still, Johan raised a point that triggers legal concerns: “This is a new label for cooperation, but one that draws new questions as it suggests a form of membership.”
For those of you with a deep understanding of the EU, you might know that this “associate membership” concept is not featured in any European law. For both Johan and Reinier, there will not be a treaty change, as there are already some provisions allowing for some sort of “association agreements”. Reinier suggested that “Canada can simply join as a full partner in many existing EU programmes and policies”, while Johan explained that “the EU can name any country a strategic, associate, or honorary member, but none of them have legal ramifications unless it has been put into primary law (institutional structure or voting procedure). Only then would it need a treaty change”.
According to the European Union Institute for Security Studies, an EU foreign policy think tank, if Canada wants to integrate existing mechanisms, like Switzerland, it would need to integrate some of the EU’s acquis communautaire. This implies that the country should adapt a part of its legislation to implement part of the European common standards, which is very unlikely to happen. Instead, the most credible form of integration would be sectoral cooperation, without strict integration in national legislation, and going beyond a trade agreement, knowing that the EU already has a free-trade agreement with Canada: the CETA. However, this agreement was not ratified by 10 out of 27 Member States, including Belgium, France, and Italy.
“This new form of partnership can become a union of democracies with a more united Europe at its core,” imagined Reinier. When asked which countries can join this process, Johan answered that “Japan, Korea, Australia, India…” could join. “Many democratic ‘middle powers’ could join to offer a positive vision of the future”, completed Reinier. Only the future will tell if these countries are willing to join the club.
Come Together Now
At this moment, you should have a clearer understanding of what this partnership entails. Therefore, we can start analyzing in which sectors this cooperation could be more concrete and visible. And Johan and Reinier had no shortage of potential ideas for short- and long-term projects, even if all of them remain theoretical. The professor started by saying that “there are a lot of common challenges that may also benefit from common solutions” before Reinier introduced the sectors on which Canada and the EU can cooperate. “There are opportunities for cooperation in critical minerals for batteries, energy, defense, AI, Arctic security, digital payments, space research…”, he told me.
Johan insisted on the potential for “military and defense cooperation” that could take the shape of a “European Defense Union,” according to Reinier. The MEP details this position by explaining that such a union could look like the “European pillar of NATO”, implying that the other one will still rely on American defense. This would be the first move towards a more independent Europe in securing the continent. He also told me that Canada is already taking steps in that direction by participating in European defense programs such as SAFE. You might not be familiar with it, but SAFE stands for Security Action for Europe, and it is a €150 billion program aimed at strengthening European defense capabilities and enhancing cooperation within the Union. Member States can apply for long-term loans together with other EU states and build their defence while increasing interoperability. Canada is part of it and became the first non-EU member to join it, since the formal agreement in June 2026. For Reinier, cooperation should not stop with the SAFE program: “The associate membership could build on this foundation through an integrated defense industry, joint procurement, and deeper cooperation on strategic technologies.” There are many other European defence programs, and you are more than welcome to visit this EU website for more information. However, these are reserved for EU Member States to ensure the European preference criteria are met. Reinier concludes this point by arguing that “the associate membership can give the right to Canada to participate fully in programs without being excluded out of fears of dependency.”
Canada and the EU committed to work together in various fields, which both interviewees briefly introduced. As explained earlier, these include access to critical minerals, necessary to produce batteries and semiconductors. The Canadian Government recognizes that the country has access to 34 of them, including nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth metals. So far, the EU depends on China to access these resources, which are key in the green transition (to produce windmills, electric vehicles…) but for which extraction remains very harmful to the environment. For Reinier, “this represents an issue of sovereignty, respect for local communities, and a more sustainable extraction.” To achieve this, the Canadian Government committed to a responsible mining strategy. Additionally, the country possesses some natural gas reserves that could help Europe in its transition to Liquefied Natural Gas systems and offer diversification in its provisioning to gain independence from Russia, alongside a transition to renewable energy. The green transition was not one of the main points Carney made in his speech, but it would surely be a topic of discussion between the two parties.
Arctic security is also a major issue at stake in this cooperation agreement. Canada has the world’s longest coastline, and a large part of it borders the Arctic region. This area is on the menu for some imperialist powers, such as Russia and the USA, and has major strategic importance. It is home to numerous fossil fuel resources, and the melting ice is opening up new shipping routes. Therefore, having Canada alongside Iceland, Denmark, and Norway would be a way for the EU to secure strategic interests and protect itself from expansionist ambitions.
Finally, Reinier and Johan both mention possible progress in AI, the digital transition, and education. On this last point, discussions are open on a potential access of Canada to the Erasmus program. Some projects are already underway in the world of research and education, such as this research program on the impact of geopolitics on free trade that some FASoS scholars (like Johan) are part of alongside Canadian researchers. Overall, “Canada could bring its many resources and assets, and Europe could bring its scale to create an alliance that would reduce our vulnerability against the world’s individual powers,” Reinier summarized.
Stand by your Side
You understand that defense is a key dimension of this “associate membership” proposition. It has been proposed in a context of global tensions, and Canada has one unfriendly neighbour that also causes some security threats. When asked if this proposal tells us something about the direction that the EU wants to take in this unstable environment, Johan simply answered: “Yes, it is a signal to the US and to the world.” Indeed, if Mark Carney managed to not mention Trump’s name in his speech, the American president was in everyone’s mind. “I think Canada has shown us that we can choose our own path, regardless of what the US thinks of it,” argued Reinier. This is also the position that Mark Carney defended since he entered office, claiming that “middle powers should become more autonomous.” He materializes this position in his country, reducing dependencies on the US and preparing to face any threat coming from them, even an invasion scenario. Reinier made his point clear by recalling Roosevelt’s words with this sentence: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” pronounced in his inauguration speech in 1933. A way to say that, in dark times, peace-driven countries should unite and be strong together. “We are creating an alternative path in this unfolding geopolitical rivalry”, concluded Johan.
It’s Hard to Say Goodbye
This announcement is only the beginning of a negotiation process between the EU institutions and the Canadian government. As argued by Achim Hurrelman, a professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, in this article, the creation of this new concept in itself creates confusion on both sides about the expectations of this partnership. Johan seconds this argument by saying that “the introduction of this concept will do more harm than good.” Both interviewees argued that sovereignty issues are to be discussed, as Carney claimed that Canada does not want to become the 51st American State, nor the 28th Member of the EU. “The idea is to create a ‘forest that can withstand the storm’,” Reinier metaphorically explained. “But the announcement itself is not enough,” he concluded. Diplomats on both sides of the Atlantic are working on making this partnership concrete and will meet together in Canada at the end of October to work on this project. Emmanuel Macron already went to meet Mark Carney last weekend to see where potential collaboration can happen.
But it will take time before both sides of the Atlantic walk hand-in-hand. So far, only one person has managed to create a successful bridge. You want a few hints? A Canadian singer, currently performing in Paris, who slipped some song titles as headers in this article…
Thank you very much, Johan and Reinier, for your expertise and insight!
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