All smiles in Strasbourg but uncertainty clouds Canada’s EU membership plan

(Da esquerda, na frente) A presidente do Parlamento Europeu, Roberta Metsola, com Mark Carney e Ursula von der Leyen em Estrasburgo. Fotografia: Yves Herman/Reuters.

Fotografia: Yves Herman/Reuters União Europeia Análise: Todos sorrindo em Estrasburgo, mas a incerteza ofusca o plano de adesão do Canadá à UE. Jennifer Rankin em Bruxelas Embora Mark Carney tenha acolhido a oferta de se tornar o primeiro membro associado do bloco, ninguém parece saber o que isso significa.

Mark Carney received a rapturous reception in the European parliament when he gave his speech on Thursday welcoming a proposal for Canada to become the EU’s first-ever associate member.

Políticos se alinharam para apertar a mão dele e tirar selfies. Um descreveu o discurso como um momento histórico. “A Europa estendeu a mão, e o Canadá a aceitou,” disse o deputado da Groenlandia Terry Reintke, que emprestou uma camisa de hóquei canadense para a ocasião.

Read moreOne day earlier, in the same debating chamber, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, issued the unprecedented invitation to Canada – an idea quickly derided by Donald Trump, who threatened Europe with “heavy tariffs” if it became a reality.

But the prospect of Canada’s associate membership is uncertain, not least because no one is sure what it means. “I’m not quite sure why she [von der Leyen] used that term because there’s simply no legal definition,” said one senior politician.

The German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson welcomed the initiative for a close partnership with Canada and said Germany was “open to discussing new models that reflect the special significance of the relationship”, but called for the associate membership label to be “reconsidered”.

0:35 Trump chama a oferta da UE de adesão associada ao Canadá ‘laughable’ – vídeo Merz, por si só, já sugeriu “associate membership” para a Ucrânia, como um degrau rumo à entrada no bloco, mas isso foi rapidamente descartado pelos demais Estados-membros.

One EU diplomat said von der Leyen “seemed a bit far out in floating this” and that even before Wednesday’s speech member states had worried that she was overpromising on Canada.

A second diplomat said it was “an empty phrase” and it would be up to member states to define the substance.

Any new trading and cooperation relationship with a foreign country would need to be approved by the EU’s 27 member states.

Há muito em comum: ambos os lados querem aprofundar a cooperação em AI, segurança energética, matérias‑primas críticas, computação quântica e trabalhar juntos no Ártico – Carney observou que o Canadá compartilha uma fronteira ártica com a Dinamarca, referindo‑se à fronteira marítima com a Groenlândia.

While both sides extol the virtues of deeper trade between allies, they are also pursuing policies that appear to contradict that goal. Last year Canada introduced a buy Canadian policy, to ensure Canadian suppliers get priority in public contracts.

The EU is debating its own buy European law, known formally as the Industrial Accelerator Act. The IAA, now being debated in the EU, would oblige member states to meet “made in Europe” content requirements when spending public money on green technologies and electric cars.

A adesão associada também levanta questões sobre a integração no mercado único da UE, que é rigidamente protegido. Carney propôs “comércio digital sem atritos em bens não agrícolas e uma ampla gama de serviços”.

But the EU has long insisted that the four freedoms of its internal market – free movement of goods, services, labour and capital – are one package that cannot be split and require alignment with EU rules.

Now the applause has died down, there are plenty of tricky issues to work out, even for the closest of allies.