What could EU associate member status mean for Canada?

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the European Union's ambition to make his country the first associate member of the bloc - but what would that mean in practice? Carney says he is seeking a unique relationship with the EU, in an apparent reference to the fact that EU treaties do not currently provide for associate membership. Germany had proposed Ukrainian associate membership earlier this year but Kyiv rejected the idea, saying it only wanted full EU integration. The EU itself also seemed reluctant. At the her State of the Union address on Wednesday, von der Leyen listed several key areas for cooperation, although she did not give specific details about how Canadian associate membership would work.