STRASBOURG, France, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed opening the door for Canada to become the first "associate member" of the European Union (EU), as she unveiled plans for closer security cooperation, tighter migration controls and stricter bans on children's social media use.
In her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said the EU and Canada would seek to upgrade their ties from the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to an "Alliance for the Future," covering manufacturing, technology, defense, the Arctic, energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI).
"I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU," she told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who attended the address.
"We see the world with the same eyes: from AI to climate change, from the Arctic to geopolitics," she said, adding that she wants to bring the relationship with Canada to "the highest level possible."
Von der Leyen also proposed what she called "Europe's own Article 4," modelled on NATO's consultation mechanism, under which EU member states will convene when one country faces a serious security incident below the threshold of armed aggression.
She further proposed creating a European Security Council involving EU leaders and partners including Canada, Norway, Ukraine and Britain.
On migration, von der Leyen cited this summer's crisis in Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave, and said the Commission will propose a European Emergency Response Framework allowing limited flexibility in standard procedures under strictly defined emergency conditions.
She also pledged to strengthen Frontex, accelerate returns, improve early-warning systems and deepen cooperation with third countries. "It is we, Europeans, who decide who comes to our Union and under what circumstances," she said.
Von der Leyen said the Commission will propose an EU Kids Act on Thursday that will prohibit social media use for children under 13 and personal accounts for those under 15. Children aged 13 to 15 will only be allowed limited accounts supervised by parents, while platforms will face mandatory safe-design requirements for users aged 15 to 18.
Von der Leyen also addressed critical raw materials, climate resilience, AI, energy security and the bloc's future enlargement.
The State of the Union address sets out the Commission president's priorities for the EU for the coming year and is the centerpiece of the European Parliament's four-day plenary session, which opened Monday. ■
