Brussels, Sept. 16 -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday invited Canada to become the European Union's first "associate member", signalling a push by Brussels and Ottawa to deepen economic and strategic ties amid growing uncertainty in transatlantic trade relations.

"I invite Canada to be the first associate member of the EU," von der Leyen said during her State of the Union speech here.

Canada is not eligible for full EU membership under the bloc's treaties, which restrict membership to European states.

Against that backdrop, the proposal for an "associate member" represents a possible new framework for closer cooperation between Canada and the 27-member bloc.

Von der Leyen also proposed moving beyond the...