EU Asks Canada to Be Its First Special Friend

Top EU leader Ursula von der Leyen asked Canada to be the EU's first associate member — like a club friend, not full member — on Sept. 16, 2026, at EU parliament in Strasbourg, with Canada's leader Mark Carney there. The EU has 27 full members and no such slot yet. A late-October 2026 EU-Canada meeting will work out details.