EU and Canada to discuss associate membership model at October summit

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said the proposed associate membership model for Canada would be discussed at the political level during the EU-Canada Summit scheduled to take place in Canada on October 29-30. The proposal has not yet become a concrete legal or political model, and no decision has been made on whether it would include the free movement of people.

Scraper SystemSeptember 18, 2026, 09:28 PM

EU and Canada to discuss associate membership model at October summit

At the Commission's daily press briefing, Gill addressed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's proposal for Canada. Describing the opening of the door for Canada to become an "associate member" of the EU as a "big, bold and beautiful idea," Gill said the proposal had not yet become a concrete legal or political model.

Summit to provide first major political assessment

Gill said talks with EU member states and Canadian officials were continuing. He described the October 29-30 summit as the first major opportunity to discuss the proposal's details at the political level and said, "At the moment, we have an idea."

Gill said technical work would be carried out before the summit to examine how the model could be implemented in concrete terms.

Model proposed for Canada will differ from full membership

Gill stressed that a distinction must be made between the model proposed for Canada and EU membership for European countries. Under Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, any European state that respects the Union's values and is committed to promoting them may apply for full membership.

AB ve Kanada, ekim zirvesinde "ortak üyelik" modelini görüşecek

Gill said the associate membership proposed for Canada would be a different model designed for an "associate country" and therefore should not be assessed within the same framework as the future relations that European countries such as the United Kingdom could establish with the EU.

No decision yet on free movement

Responding to a question about whether Canada's associate membership would include the free movement of people, Gill said no decision had yet been made. He said comprehensive changes in the EU could not be implemented without the approval of the member states and that the work would be conducted in coordination with them.

European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Arianna Podesta said the proposal had previously been discussed with member states on various occasions and was based on contacts with Canadian officials.

EU and Canada to discuss associate membership model at October summit