European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Wednesday that Canada become the European Union’s first associate member. The striking overture comes as threats from US President Donald Trump push Ottawa closer to Europe. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called it a “unique alliance with the EU.”

FFrance 24 English2026-09-16 15:41

In Wednesday remarks, Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen backed exploring an “associate member” role for Canada, which would be the EU’s first.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-16 15:13

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says she wants to open the door for Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa is seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU, not membership. The proposal is examined with Brussels Playbook author Gerardo Fortuna.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-16 14:55

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that Canada become the European Union’s first associate member. During her state of the union address in Strasbourg, France, she said she wanted to work with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to open that door for Canada.

BBloomberg Television2026-09-16 14:52

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed creating a path for Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member.” With Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attending her State of the EU address, she said the two sides would build on their existing free trade agreement through a broader “alliance.”

GGlobal News2026-09-16 14:34

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is visiting Europe on Wednesday, including the European Parliament in Strasbourg and a meeting with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool. European leaders are preparing to offer Canada a new special status as an “Associate Member of the European Union,” though its precise meaning remains unclear.

GGlobal News2026-09-16 13:18

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed creating a path for Canada to become the European Union’s first associate member, although the status does not currently exist.

CCBC News2026-09-16 12:55

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced during the State of the Union that Canada had been invited to become the EU’s first “associate member”. The entirely new status has yet to be defined in detail, while she also proposed an alliance with Ottawa covering technology, critical raw materials, energy and defence.

Eeuronews2026-09-16 12:54

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed opening a route for Canada to become the European Union’s first associate member. Trump’s tariffs and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have driven Ottawa to pursue closer economic and security ties with Europe.

TThe Associated Press2026-09-16 12:00

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become its first associate member. The proposed “unique alliance” would create a new form of partnership between the two sides.

RReuters2026-09-16 11:48

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that Canada could become the 27-nation bloc’s first “associate member”. She proposed closer cooperation with Canadian leader Mark Carney on technology, defence and energy.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-16 10:41

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told Canadian prime minister Mark Carney that she wants to open the door for Canada to become the EU’s first associate member. The approach follows US tariffs and Donald Trump’s repeated talk of making Canada the 51st US state, which pushed Ottawa to seek closer economic and security ties with Europe.

GGuardian News2026-09-16 10:08

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that Canada become the European Union’s first associate member. Speaking during her State of the Union address in Strasbourg, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney present, she said she wanted to work together to open that door. Stocks and bonds found some relief after days of selling as traders awaited the Federal Reserve’s latest decision.

BBloomberg Television2026-09-16 09:50

As global alliances shift, the European Union and Canada are seeking closer ties. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is attending the EU’s State of the Union address while Brussels and Ottawa explore deeper cooperation on trade, defense, AI and critical minerals. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will outline the EU’s agenda for the year ahead, followed by live analysis and reaction from Strasbourg.

DDW News2026-09-16 06:13

Former prime minister Stephen Harper said Canada had “no choice” but to walk away from trade talks with the United States. In closing remarks at the Canada Investment Summit, he also told leading global investors that Canada is “once again” a “serious investment destination.”

CCBC News2026-09-15 23:38

Canada's relationship with the United States is currently strained. Former U.S. ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman says the ties between the neighbours will endure, while Prime Minister Mark Carney is travelling to Europe to deepen relations with the EU. Former Quebec premier Jean Charest says that serves Canada's interests.

CCBC News2026-09-15 20:05

The upheaval in US diplomacy and foreign policy goes beyond any single administration, says Atlantic staff writer Anne Applebaum. She describes a sweeping shift in how Washington projects power, away from leading a democratic alliance and toward transactional, mafia-style politics, while Canada turns toward the EU, India and China.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-15 19:06

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is travelling to Europe amid a trade war with US President Donald Trump, seeking a deeper relationship with the European Union that could give Canadians greater freedom to work and study there.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-15 18:57

A downtown Toronto demonstration drew hundreds of activists opposed to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s summit, an event designed to generate interest in over 160 projects spanning mining, energy, technology and infrastructure.

RReuters2026-09-15 18:07

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is holding a press conference during a Tuesday visit to Vancouver, British Columbia. It comes one week before Parliament returns and a day after Prime Minister Mark Carney’s two-day investment summit in Toronto, which sought to attract new investment to Canada.

GGlobal News2026-09-15 17:04

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to take media questions Tuesday morning at a high-stakes investment summit in Toronto. Hundreds of executives and global asset managers are gathering for Canada’s first investment summit to review major projects at different stages of development across multiple sectors.

GGlobal News2026-09-15 14:11

Prime Minister Mark Carney answers journalists’ questions at the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto. The government hopes the event will generate $1 trillion in new investment.

CCBC News2026-09-15 13:48

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting dozens of global investors at an investment summit in Toronto. He hopes to attract funding for more than 160 projects that he says are crucial to guiding Canada’s economy through a trade war with the United States.

RReuters2026-09-15 13:11

Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to address an investment summit in Toronto on Tuesday, where Canada will be pitched to business leaders and money managers from around the world.

CCBC News2026-09-15 12:36