EU proposes Canada as first associate member ahead of Montreal summit

The European Commission has proposed making Canada the EU's first "associate member", a status that does not yet exist in EU treaties, as leaders meet in Montreal on 29–30 October. Canada already takes part in the EU's 150 billion-euro SAFE defence-procurement programme, and the talks cover trade, technology, defence and AI as US tariffs push Ottawa toward Europe. The move shows the EU extending its institutional and defence reach beyond its own borders, a step toward Europe acting as a more independent power bloc, though no treaty change has been made.