Politico: EU replaces the idea of “associate membership” for Canada with new wording

European Union member states have rejected a proposal to grant Canada “associate member” status, calling for the agreement to focus on deepening cooperation between the two sides.

A group of countries, including Germany, France and Greece, opposed including the phrase in the latest draft of the joint EU-Canada declaration, according to Politico. The document is expected to be published at the EU-Canada Summit, which will take place in Montreal.

The idea was first put forward by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address in September. She proposed giving Canada a special status in relation to the EU, but the initiative surprised some member states.

The previous draft envisaged the EU and Canada working until the 2027 EU-Canada Summit to define what “associate membership” would mean. The aim of this mechanism was to increase cooperation in the areas of prosperity, economic security and strategic autonomy.

The new version removes this reference and replaces it with a commitment to building an even closer relationship between Canada and the European Union. The two sides also aim to define by 2027 what “ever-closer association” means, without linking it to full membership.

The draft has not yet been formally approved.

Although the term in question has faced opposition, Brussels aims to significantly expand cooperation with Canada as both sides work to strengthen their economic and security ties.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that the name given to the relationship was not the main issue. “The good news is that the names or specific terminology don’t matter,” he said, stressing that what matters is the agreement’s impact on the lives of Canadian citizens.