Canada and EU association: Are there other arrangements?

Canada and the EU "see the world with the same eyes," according to European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.

And the feeling appears mutual.

"Our commitment to the rule of law, and our unyielding defense of human dignity, individual freedom and democracy share the same deep roots, the same unwavering dedication," said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

In that spirit, and with both parties grasping for an effective way to deal with Donald Trump and his tariffs, von der Leyen floated the idea of Canada becoming the EU's first associate member on Thursday.

Given the concept of associate membership does not yet exist, it's difficult to determine exactly what that would mean. Germany proposed a similar arrangement for Ukraine earlier this year, only for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reject the idea on the grounds that the country wants full membership.

Though not officially recognized as associates, there are plenty of countries that have strong ties or agreements with the bloc. DW looks at some of them and how they work.

EFTA and single market access — Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland

Under this model, the ‘European Free Trade Association (EFTA)' countries are part of the EU's internal market, so people, goods and services can move freely in the Schengen area. The three countries also follow many EU rules in areas like tourism, environment and education.

But there are some key distinctions. The countries have no part in the decision-making process, bar some input into policy preparation, such as participation in expert groups. They are also not in the customs union, do not use the Euro and are not bound by the EU's common trade policy or justice laws. Iceland held a referendum on whether to go for full membership last month, but the government's push to do so failed and they remain an EFTA country.

Bilateral agreements — Switzerland

While it borders four EU member states (Germany, Italy, France and Austria), Switzerland has never been a full member. Instead, more than 120 bilateral deals have been agreed upon by the EU and Switzerland over the last 50 years. These relate to areas such as trade, transport, security and education. A new package of deals was finalized last year, 20 years after they were last agreed.

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More than 1.5 million EU citizens live and work in Switzerland, while 466,200 Swiss have gone the other way. That is possible as Switzerland is also part of theSchengen area, allowing for free movement of people across borders.

Switzerland makes financial contributions to a number of EU member states that joined after expansion in 2004, mostly in the east of Europe, but it has no EU voting rights and adopts only some EU laws. Switzerland can also participate in certain EU programs and research projects, through individual negotiations.

The post Brexit agreement — UK  

More than four years after the UK voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, the two parties signed a trade and cooperation agreement. Negotiations were fraught and complex, and the UK now has limited access to the EU market and is aligned with the EU on some areas of policy and regulation, for now at least.

There is no longer free movement of people from the UK to the EU or vice versa, and the UK are not in the single market or the customs union. Since the center-left Labour party replaced the Conservatives in government in 2024, talk of a return to the customs union and alignment on other selected EU policy areas has been more frequent. But any return to full member status seems unlikely for now.

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Stabilization and association process – Western Balkan countries

The EU has not admitted a new member state since Croatia in 2013. Several nearby countries in the region are hoping to join the bloc, but must first fulfill a number of criteria under the EU's "stabilization and association process" designed for the "Western Balkans." These are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

Under the plan, the EU has promised to "prepare Western Balkan partners for accession through economic reforms and investment and to bring some of the benefits of EU membership to citizens in the region."

States must first become official candidates for member state status by applying to the EU, with each of the member nations agreeing to them as a candidate country. Then follows a process of negotiation, such as that currently underway with Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro. Finally, an accession treaty is prepared, which the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament must agree with. Only once that treaty has been signed and ratified by all member states and the candidate country will said country become an EU member. 

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