European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would work with Canada to become the EU's first "associate member" in her annual speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday.
"We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible," von der Leyen said. "So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU."
She further stressed the need to maintain European independence in various sectors, including energy, raw materials and clean technologies.
To do that, EU countries will not only need to work together, but also have strong partners like Canada, whose Prime Minister, Mark Carney, is in Strasbourg and was warmly applauded by EU lawmakers as he arrived to listen to von der Leyen's speech.
Von der Leyen, now in her second five-year term at the helm of the EU executive arm, walked up to and embraced Carney after mentioning the "associate membership" issue for Canada, and Carney got a standing ovation from the chamber.
Through its partnership with Canada, she called for EU states to tackle climate change, competition from China and other major challenges.
The bloc was dealing with "an openly hostile world", von der Leyen said, setting out priorities for the 27-nation EU for the year ahead.
Von der Leyen: Solidarity among EU states necessary for facing challenges
She said solidarity among member states was the only possible solution. "Our path is clear. Building an independent Europe that has the power to act."
The 27-nation bloc faces war at its borders, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On trade and other issues, it also faces stiff rivalry from US President Donald Trump's United States and an increasingly assertive China.
The EU faces major headwinds at home as well, including the increasing popularity of a eurosceptic far-right, seen in regional elections in Germany that have weakened Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Opinion polls see Marine Le Pen as the strongest contender in next year's presidential vote in France.
"The state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been. The state of our Union can also feel as precarious as it has ever been," von der Leyen said.
EU to use any means necessary to reduce 'unsustainable' China trade deficit
Turning to trade, von der Leyen said the EU will use every possible means to reduce its "unsustainable" trade deficit with China. She said that the imbalance, with a goods trade deficit of €1 billion ($1.15 billion) a day last year, had reached a tipping point.
"Let me be clear: we will use all the tools at our disposal to rebalance our relationship. Words are good. But deeds are better," she said.
Von der Leyen also said the bloc will need to stay its ambitious course on mitigating climate change but also step up efforts to adapt to it, drawing on experiences from the last three months when the continent was hit by unprecedented heat waves and wildfires.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.