Macron backs Canada's bid to become EU's first associate member

During a meeting in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, French President Emmanuel Macron publicly backed a plan for Canada to become the European Union's first associate member, a move championed by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighted the geographic proximity of the two countries and pledged to have their space agencies and defence ministries collaborate on shared launch and ground-receiving infrastructure.

They also agreed to broaden cooperation in sectors such as energy, telecoms, climate-change resilience and economic growth. The European Commission said it will keep discussions open with EU member states and Canada, noting that the idea has already been presented and debated among the members. EU spokesperson Olof Gill emphasized that any major change requires approval from the member states and that the upcoming EU-Canada summit in Montreal will further explore concrete steps for the partnership.