EU Drops 'Associate Member' Label for Canada in Draft Summit Text
Berlin and other capitals pushed to remove the term, leaving the bloc to seek a closer economic tie with Ottawa instead.
By Renata Mehta ·
The number of EU nations that might have gained a new partner through associate membership just fell to zero. According to reports from the German news agency dpa and Reuters, the terms 'associate member' and 'associated membership' have been removed from a joint draft statement between the European Union and Canada. Officials planned to release the document on Friday, just hours after the EU-Canada summit is set to begin in Montreal.
The shift in language follows a proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September. She had suggested that Canada could become the bloc's first associate member, a move intended to help both sides pivot away from the United States. However, the idea proved divisive among the 27 EU nations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and several other leaders pushed for the removal of the specific terminology, citing diplomats, to smooth the path for the summit declaration.
The revised statement now calls for an 'ever closer association' between the two entities. It outlines a joint initiative to build new subsea cable infrastructure to improve connectivity between Europe, Canada, and Asia. The draft also proposes a feasibility study regarding Canadian liquefied natural gas exports to Europe and measures to allow young people from both sides of the Atlantic to work across the border.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hosts the summit later Thursday. Deeper ties to Europe are central to his strategy to reduce Canada's economic and security reliance on the United States. This reliance has been strained since President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods. The EU is currently Canada's second-largest trading partner, while the United States remains the largest.
The change in wording may also be a response to American friction. Trump previously called the associate membership proposal 'laughable.' He warned that if he viewed the move as a hostile act, the US might stop trading with Europe on many items. Trade talks between Canada and the US continue amidst these tensions.
Carney told reporters on Tuesday that the summit will mark the start of formal negotiations that are expected to last another year. He downplayed the loss of the specific title in a statement to the press. 'The good news is it doesn't matter about specific names or nomenclature,' Carney said. 'What matters is the difference it will make to the lives of Canadians.'
Source: Al Jazeera
