EU Chief announces Canada to be the first EU Associate Member

This article will be updated with further details.

In her State of the Union speech at the European Parliament, the EU Commissioner President Ursula von der Leyen announced  that Canada will become the first Associate Member of the European Union. This kind of EU agreement is tailor-made and could potentially include free visa travel between Canadian and Europeans and open up further job and trade opportunities between Canada and the EU.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is at the European Parliament and is to deliver a speech.

The Commission President also announced a new gateway link which will come with a communications link between Europe and the South Caucasus. A summit in Bulgaria will be held about this project.

She also announced the creation of a new European security strategy to combat Russian “hybrid attacks” which will create Europe’s “hybrid” playbook. The announcement follows the planned European Democracy Shield approved yesterday.

You can watch the full speech by the Commission President here.

Mark Camilleri

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