EU chief proposes Canada as first 'associate member'

Celia Hatton (0:00)

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Celia Hatten, and on Wednesday, the 16th of September, these are our main stories. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announces proposals for Canada to become the first associate member of the European Union. The civil defense agency in Gaza says at least 20 people, including five children, have been killed after the collapse of an apartment block weakened by previous Israeli airstrikes. Saudi Arabia says it shot down a drone that was heading towards Mecca, Islam's holiest site. The kingdom blames the Houthi rebel group, but the Houthis deny launching the attack.

Also in this podcast.

SPEAKER_2 (0:42)

Four years ago, if someone had told me that one day I would see women walking down the streets, bravely and without the hijab, I probably wouldn't have believed them.

Celia Hatton (0:54)

It's been four years since the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of morality police in Iran. Her death sparked huge protests. What's changed since then?

We'll begin with what could be the start of a new global alliance, one between Canada and the European Union. The EU's chief has backed a proposal for Canada to become the union's first associate member. Here's Ursula von der Leyen speaking in Strasbourg. Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, was in the audience.

Ursula von der Leyen (1:26)

We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible. And dear Mark, I said we must urgently re-imagine our partnerships.

So I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to being the first associate member of the European Union.

Celia Hatton (1:52)

This possible new partnership comes as Canada is fighting a hugely costly trade war with the United States, the country that normally takes in more than 70% of its exports. Mark Carney has promised to fight that battle by finding new markets for Canadian products. He's also pledged to make Canada safer by forging new security ties, as Donald Trump continues to threaten to make his northern neighbor, the United States, 51st state. So that's the view from Canada. But what could the EU get from this new link?

I asked our correspondent in Brussels, Nick Beek.

Nick Beek (2:26)

I think this all boils down to the fact that at the moment, many Europeans, particularly Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission President, really feels that Mark Carney, in particular, is a kindred spirit, that they're on the same page. They're dealing with the same sort of threats, that from China, but notably, as you were saying, from President Trump, an unpredictable Donald Trump, whether it's the waging of tariff wars or hitting out at supposed allies, whether they're just across the border in Canada or across the Atlantic in Europe. And so what's been put forward today by Ursula von der Leyen is something completely novel, because at the moment, there's no such thing as associate membership for anyone who wants to join the European Union. So this would be something that's not in the EU treaties at the moment, not in EU law. So really, there are a lot of unknowns around this, but certainly both sides feel that there would be this added protection in the face of economic aggression and also potentially when it comes to defence in the years and decades to come, that this sort of union could be mutually beneficial.

Celia Hatton (3:34)

Yeah, fascinating, isn't it? I mean, Mark Carney does have experience on both sides of the Atlantic. He's the Prime Minister of Canada now, but he worked in England. He was the governor of the Bank of England in the UK.

I wonder, you said that this is a brand-new venture in theory. So is this symbolic? What would it take for Canada to become an associate member? Or is it fait accompli?

Nick Beek (3:58)

Well, it would take years, that's for sure. And the idea of associate membership, although it's not been implemented, is something actually that was raised a few months back by Chancellor Mertz of Germany. Now, he was talking about Ukraine in that context, saying that maybe the Ukrainians could be brought on board, not with all the benefits of EU membership, but some of them. Now, the thing with this is that at the time people were saying, well, hang about, there's a long queue of other countries who are going through this very laborious, long process trying to make sure that all their laws and basically the way their countries work, I'm thinking about in the Balkans in particular, that they are hitting all the goals needed, the European standards needed, so that they can progress and ultimately become members of the European Union. So it's hard to see how this thing would be fast tracked. And of course, there's the thorny cost of membership. How much would it cost to be part of this club, even if it's not full membership?