European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed in September 2026 making Canada the first associate member of the European Union.

From the articleCanada's new relationship with European Union will be 'closer to membership' than ever, senior officials say | CBC NewsAlso in Canada ‘associate membership’ spurs battle of words with EU capitals, Ahead of EU-Canada summit, European leaders clash over terminology, Canada-EU summit will kick off formal talks on closer ties: Carney - National | Globalnews.ca, Canada-EU summit: What do both sides want, and what’s at stake?