Canada and EU: A look at the bloc's special relationships

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

"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," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said.

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 that Canada could become the European Union'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.

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.

Copyright for this text belongs to Deutsche Welle.