Can Canada join the EU? Flattered Brussels hails strong ties

Could Canada join the EU? The seemingly fanciful prospect was addressed by Brussels Wednesday, with a spokesperson saying the bloc was flattered by the interest -- but pointed out being a European country was a starting point for eligibility.

The idea that Ottawa should throw in its lot with Brussels has been half-seriously floated by some commentators as US President Donald Trump's tariffs and threats push the two sides closer.

When Pollster Abacus Data put the question to Canadians in late February, 44 percent said yes, Canada should join the 27-nation club.

Only 34 percent of the 1,500 people polled opposed the idea, with the remainder unsure, according to the survey published this week.

"It's not a surprise, because the EU and Canada are like-minded partners which share many, many, many values and also strong historical connections," European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho said of the poll at a news conference Wednesday.

Brussels was "honoured with the results", which pointed to the bloc's "attractiveness", she added.

Asked whether Canada was eligible to join, while stopping short of expressly saying "no", she referred to the admission criteria set out in EU treaties, which seem to rule out Ottawa.

"For a country to become a member of the EU, there are criteria foreseen in the treaties," she said.

- 'Any European state' -

Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union says that "any European state" that respects values including freedom, democracy and equality can apply for membership.

What constitutes a "European" country is not defined but arguing Canada is one could prove to be a bit of a stretch.

Canadians speak both of the EU's main working languages -- English and French. They are neighbours to Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory that Trump has, like Canada, threatened to annex.

But an ocean still separates them from the old continent.

In 1987, Morocco was denied a membership bid on the grounds it was not a European state.

Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine have had their applications accepted for consideration, on the other hand.

Canada already has a free-trade agreement with the EU, which is its second-largest export destination after the United States.

Trump has repeatedly called for Canada to become the 51st US state -- forcing his Secretary of State Marco Rubio to say Wednesday that a takeover would not be on the table of a G7 meeting in Quebec this week.

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