Von der Leyen proposes associate membership for Ottawa

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a new partnership between the European Union and Canada. The proposal involves an associate membership status that would bring Ottawa closer to the bloc without granting it full membership.According to Reuters, von der Leyen said the EU was discussing the possibility of Canada becoming the bloc’s first associate member from outside Europe. She described the proposed arrangement as “association without accession”, saying it would bring the two sides closer than any partnership the EU had established before.“Canada cannot be an EU member because of geography, but we want to take our relationship to the highest possible level,” von der Leyen said.She added that associate membership would be reserved for the EU’s closest partners outside Europe, with the arrangement aimed at aligning policies more closely while stopping short of full membership.The development comes as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to diversify…