🍁 The Change — September 30, 2026
What EU membership could cost us
There's no fixed number yet, but Norway and Switzerland give us a pretty good idea
By · Make That Change
What EU membership could cost us
There's no fixed number yet, but Norway and Switzerland give us a pretty good idea
Make That Change
September 30, 2026
Sponsored by
On September 16, the President of the EU said she wants Canada to become "the first associate member of the EU." That status doesn't exist in any EU treaty yet, and the next day Carney ruled out full membership. (AP) In this week's video we looked at the four countries that already live in the space between "outside" and "member."
Here are the most important things we need to know about this:
Source: Politico
The “associate” status doesn't exist yet.The details are expected at the Canada–EU summit in Montreal on October 29 and 30.
Every association deal trades the same three things: what you can sell, whose rules you follow, and who can work where. Norway, for instance, has the full market and free movement, but it follows more than 9,000 EU laws it doesn't get to vote on.
We already trade tariff-free with Europe, yet it buys only about 5% of goods and services from us. The US buys 68%. (StatCan via Visual Capitalist)
Open borders aren't on the table. The realistic upside is simpler youth work rules in place of today's country-by-country lotteries.
The full story, including why Turkey's deal is the one to avoid, is in the video
Whatever comes out of the Canada-EU summit next month, Canadians can already get to Europe easily, and plenty of us are going this fall. What's still easy to get wrong is your phone bill. Roaming is the default, and you only see the price when you get home.
With Airalo, you buy an eSIM for your destination before you leave and activate it when you land — no carrier day rate, no airport scramble. The app compares local, regional and global packages, including unlimited-data options in some destinations, and your regular SIM stays active for calls and texts.
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Europe has the same problem we do
There is some debate on who’s making a favour to whom. The data suggests Europe is in the same position we are. Last year, 57.9% of the EU's liquefied natural gas came from the US. Another 13.5% came from Russia, which Europe is legislating out. Canada's share was zero. (Rigzone) Both Canada and the EU are trying to reduce our reliance on the US. That explains why now is the best time for this deal - and we know it’s not trivial, because the US presidents don’t threaten tariffs on truly “laughable” things.
What the EU deal means for Canada. The idea already works where the infrastructure exists: Canada and Kazakhstan were the EU's two largest uranium suppliers in 2025. (World Nuclear News) What can bite every Canadian thought is the membership fee. Norway pays about €391 million a year (Norway's Mission to the EU), roughly €70 per person. Switzerland will pay CHF 350 million a year from 2030 (Swiss government), about CHF 39 per person. Scaled to 41.5 million Canadians, we can estimate somewhere between $66 to $112 per person every year, or $2.7 - $4.7 billion in total. Since it’s a budget matter, Parliament will have to vote, so we will see the fee costs at some point leading up to the vote.
What it means for Canadians. If you're 18 to 35 and thinking about living and working Europe, don't wait for this deal. Youth mobility agreements with individual European countries already exist. See which countries and how to apply →
The number to pay attention to
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Timbits 🍡
Check your direct deposit on October 5. That's the next Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit payment. If it hasn't arrived, the CRA asks you to wait 10 working days before calling. (CRA payment dates)
Thousands of free arts events run until October 4. Culture Days offers workshops, studio tours and behind-the-scenes access across the country. Find one near you →
A free, Canadian-built retirement check-up. PlanDIY, launched this week by an Edmonton firm, estimates your retirement readiness from a short questionnaire, with no advisor meeting. (GlobeNewswire)
Save your wish list for October 6–7. Amazon has confirmed the dates for Prime Big Deal Days in Canada. (Gizly)
TIFF's best Canadian film is Sunburn, directed by Serville Poblete. Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story received an honourable mention. (Exclaim!)
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