by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 11:20 AM ET, Thu September 17, 2026
As Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Strasbourg to address the European Parliament this week, talk of Canada becoming an “associate member” of the EU is swirling.
"I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament, with Carney in attendance, yesterday.
Such a membership doesn’t currently exist, so the details of what an associate membership might look like are still the subject of speculation. "The status of associate member does not exist, so no one knows what it would mean," Achim Hurrelmann, co-director of the Centre for European Studies at Carleton University told the Canadian Press.
"It's a label that really does invite misunderstandings."
One thing that would be discussed, according to several news reports, is live-and-work rules.
Presently, Canadians are able to stay in the European Schengen Area for 90 days within a 180 day period, which amounts to roughly three months every half a year. Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Carney acknowledged that changes to visa rules for travel to European countries are a "possibility."
Loosening the rules that govern how long Canadians can stay in Europe opens up intriguing possibilities for digital nomads to work without jumping through visa hoops and snowbirds who may want to stay longer in Europe or work to supplement their earnings.
According to another report from the Canadian Press, the prime minister said travel visas amount to just one element of ongoing talks on deepening ties with the European Union.
The report states that Carney spoke “only vaguely” about what could be on the table but pointed to several "strategic areas" where Ottawa and European nations can forge closer economic ties, such as energy, critical minerals, defence, space and artificial intelligence.
He also cited “opportunities in research, cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties, ‘all of which needs to be defined.’”
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