EU and Canada seek to define "associate membership" after Montreal summit
After a 48-hour EU-Canada summit in Montreal, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has given the EU six months to work out what "associate membership" means. Brussels is also dealing with budget talks and coffin makers' fears over Chinese competition.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has given the European Union six months to settle what "associate membership" would mean in practice, following a 48-hour EU-Canada summit in Montreal. Brussels is now weighing what the new relationship between the two partners could look like.
On Politico Europe's "Brussels Playbook" podcast, journalists Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur go through the deals reached at the summit and what lies ahead. The outlet has also published articles on the six-month test of commitment between the EU and Canada and on eight things learned at the summit.
Budget talks at the European Council
Last month's European Council summit, which brings together the leaders of EU member states, was criticised as unwieldy, and the criticism extended to its president, Antonio Costa. He is nonetheless pressing on with efforts to secure agreement on an EU budget by 2027.
This week, Costa's head of cabinet, Pedro Lourtie, will hold so-called "confessionals", one-to-one talks with national governments, to find out where each of them stands.
Coffin makers' concerns
Europe's coffin makers, meanwhile, are warning that Chinese competitors could pose a grave threat to their industry. Politico Europe has run a separate article in which producers say Chinese imports could be a death knell for the sector.
Listeners can send questions and comments to the podcast team via WhatsApp.
