EU chief lays out vision for new Canada partnership at Montreal summit

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has laid out her vision for what an "associate membership" status for Canada to the EU would look like as officials gather in Montreal to discuss closer ties.

It is "a partnership that comes close to membership than anything we have done before," she said on Thursday's remarks at the two-day Canada-EU summit.

She added it is a type of relationship that would be open "only to our closest partners outside of Europe who are ready to open a new frontier together."

It includes close alignment on governance and policies, and partnering in research and innovation.