European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become its first “associate member”. The status does not currently exist under the EU treaties. The proposal marks a major shift in the bloc’s approach to partnerships outside full membership.

Von der Leyen announced this during her annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She said closer partnerships have become important as the international rules-based system faces growing pressure.

“Partnerships are a strategic choice for Europe. But they also respond to the fracture in the international rules-based system,” von der Leyen said.

She highlighted the growing cooperation between the EU and Canada across several areas. “We see the world with the same eyes: from AI to climate change, from the Arctic to geopolitics. And we have stood together: on Ukraine, on defence, on raw materials and on supply chains. But above all...Europe and Canada believe in democracy.”

The EU has traditionally been cautious about creating flexible membership categories. EU countries also showed limited enthusiasm for Germany’s proposal in May to offer associate membership for Ukraine as a possible step towards full EU accession.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney had said earlier this week that Ottawa was seeking a “unique alliance” with the EU, rather than membership. Von der Leyen invited Carney to Strasbourg, where he is expected to deliver his own address on Thursday.

Carney’s visit comes after a major deterioration in Canada-U.S. relations. Trade talks between the two countries collapsed last month, leading to a series of retaliatory tariff measures. The developments have pushed Canada to seek stronger partnerships with other international allies.

Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada could deepen cooperation across several strategic sectors. “I said we must urgently reimagine our partnerships. So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU,” she said.

She said the partnership would cover manufacturing, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and energy. The EU also plans closer cooperation in defence and the Arctic.

“We will work on intelligent manufacturing. We will create a tech alliance. We will integrate defence industrial bases. We will make the Arctic a flagship joint project,” she said.

Von der Leyen also stressed that the proposed partnership would not target another country. “This is a partnership not against anyone else”, she said, in a possible effort to avoid tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump.