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Canada-EU relations: Deeper strategic partnership in the making

Flags of the European Union in the foreground are interspersed with in the background President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L) and the President of the EU Council (Unseen) as they welcome the Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney (R) prior to an EU - Canada Summit in the Europa Building, the EU Council headquarter on June 23, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.
Photo: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

Vasilka Lalevska

4 min read

This article is the first of a two-part series examining the ambition behind the closer Canada-EU ties and why it matters for businesses.

This year’s State of the Union speech (SOTEU) will be remembered by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s mention of Canada’s associate membership to the European Union.

Still an undefined term in the EU treaties, the associate membership was less of a legal challenge and more of a signal

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