EU set to scrap "associate member" offer for Canada
EU countries have dropped the idea of offering Canada "associate member" status. The draft joint statement for the EU-Canada summit in Montreal instead promises "ever closer association".
European Union member states have abandoned the idea of offering Canada "associate member" status in the 27-country bloc. Ahead of a landmark EU-Canada summit in Montreal, the draft joint statement now uses softer wording promising "ever closer association". The latest version of the draft was seen by POLITICO.
What was proposed
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen originally floated associate membership for Canada in her State of the European Union speech in September. The proposal caught some EU countries off-guard.
Why the wording changed
Diplomats said a group of countries objected to mentioning associate membership in the joint EU-Canada statement, which is due to be issued in Montreal. Those countries include Germany, Italy, Greece and France. Following their objections, the draft no longer includes the associate membership concept and offers a pledge of closer association instead.
The source does not specify what "ever closer association" would mean in practice or which concrete steps might follow. The text is still a draft discussed among member states before the summit, so the final wording could yet change.
