On Canada's national day of 1 July, they were announced as the debut country for Eurovision 2027.

The announcement, of course, drew plenty of debate about whether they should be in the Contest.

However, in that discussion, very few have been talking about how the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) rewrote its own rulebook to make it happen.

Just days before confirming Canada as a Eurovision participant, it approved new membership rules and admitted CBC/Radio-Canada as a Full Member.

So the bigger question we should focus on is, what does this mean for the future of Eurovision?

Unlike Australia, Canada did not need a special invitation to compete.

Australia first competed after receiving a special invitation from the EBU in 2015. Since then, participation has continued through invitations, despite SBS remaining an Associate Member.

Canada's situation is very different.

That's because Full Members are eligible to enter Eurovision under the Contest's rules. Once CBC/Radio-Canada became a Full Member, there was no question over Canada's eligibility.

So despite no regular broadcasting of the Contest and no commentary team representing the nation, they are straight through to Eurovision.

This is important as the EBU didn't invite another non-European country to compete, it changed its membership rules, creating a new pathway to Eurovision.

The change was approved at the EBU's General Assembly in London on 26 June, when member broadcasters voted to amend the organisation's statutes governing Full Membership.

Before the vote, Full Membership was only open to broadcasters operating within the European Broadcasting Area or in a Council of Europe member state.

The amendments left those requirements in place but introduced an additional eligibility category.

Broadcasters from countries with formal observer status at the Council of Europe can now also be eligible for Full Membership, provided their country's public service media system is aligned with the Council of Europe's core standards.

Following the adoption of the amended statutes, delegates then voted on CBC/Radio-Canada's application for Full Membership under the revised eligibility rules. The application was approved.

The EBU announced both decisions together, confirming the changes to its membership rules and CBC/Radio-Canada's admission as a Full Member.

Despite the name, the Council of Europe isn't part of the European Union.

It's a separate international organisation focused on democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Alongside its 46 member states, it has five observer countries:

Under the EBU's revised rules, observer status has become one of the key requirements for broadcasters outside Europe seeking Full Membership.

Not automatically.

The new rules don't mean every broadcaster from an observer country can now compete at Eurovision.

Broadcasters must also come from a country with "a public service media system aligned with core Council of Europe standards", while Full Membership still requires approval by the EBU.

Exactly how those standards were assessed hasn't been publicly explained.

However, the Council of Europe has developed standards covering areas including media freedom, editorial independence, pluralism, transparency, accountability and the role of public service media.

This new framework does create possibilities that didn't previously exist.

Although Mexico and The Holy See are not Associate Members of the EBU, other Council of Europe observer nations are.

Japan's NHK and TBS are already Associate Members of the EBU.

Several broadcasters in the United States, including NPR, NBC, CBS, ABC and American Public Media, are as well.

Whether any of them would ever seek Full Membership is another question.

But, for the first time, there is now a pathway if they choose to pursue it.

Unlike Canada, Australia isn't a Council of Europe observer state.

But could Australia become one? In theory, yes.

The organisation's rules allow any country to be granted observer status if it accepts its principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

However, observer status would need to be approved by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers. Australia could not simply decide to join, and there is no public indication it has sought observer status.

If Australia were accepted as an observer, SBS could then apply for EBU Full Membership under the new framework.

Approval would not be guaranteed. SBS would still need to meet the EBU's other requirements and receive the support of its existing Full Members.

The changes could also create a potential pathway for New Zealand.

Radio New Zealand and TVNZ are both Associate Members of the EBU. If New Zealand became a Council of Europe observer, either broadcaster could potentially seek Full Membership under the same rules now used by CBC/Radio-Canada.

Canada's Eurovision debut will naturally attract most of the attention.

But the more significant development may be the rule change that made it possible.

For the first time, the EBU has created a pathway for broadcasters outside the European Broadcasting Area and Council of Europe member states to become Full Members through observer status.

Whether any other broadcaster ever follows Canada's lead remains to be seen, but the precedent now exists.

How far that expansion ultimately goes may become one of Eurovision's biggest questions in the years ahead.

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