The European Union has removed the proposal for Canada to become an associate member from its joint draft statement, according to reports from the German news agency dpa and Reuters. The change was made in a draft declaration for the upcoming Canada-EU summit in Montreal, where officials plan to make the statement public on Friday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had previously suggested that Canada could become the 27-nation bloc’s first associate member. The idea was seen as a significant overture as both Canada and the EU seek to reduce their economic and security reliance on the United States under President Donald Trump.
German Opposition to Associate Status
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and several other EU leaders pushed for the terms to be removed from the draft declaration. Diplomats indicated that the associate membership concept was a divisive issue during negotiations among member nations. The final text now calls for an “ever closer association” between the two entities instead.
The removal of the associate member status reflects the complex diplomatic balancing act required to maintain unity within the EU while pursuing closer ties with North America. Chancellor Merz’s opposition appears to have carried significant weight in the final wording of the summit declaration.
Trade and Connectivity Initiatives
Despite the change in status, the joint statement includes several concrete proposals for deeper cooperation. The document outlines a joint initiative to improve international connectivity through new subsea cable infrastructure linking Europe, Canada, and Asia. It also proposes a feasibility study on Canadian liquefied natural gas exports to Europe.
Additionally, the agreement aims to enable young Canadians and Europeans to work across the Atlantic. These measures are designed to strengthen economic ties without triggering the political resistance that the associate member label encountered.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has aimed to deepen ties with the EU, which is Canada’s second-largest trading partner. This strategy comes as trade relations with the US, Ottawa’s largest economic partner, have been hampered by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
US Reaction and Future Negotiations
President Trump previously called the EU’s proposal to make Canada an associate member “laughable.” He warned that if he interpreted the move as a hostile act, the US might stop trading with Europe on many things. Canada’s efforts to draw closer to Europe risk angering Trump as trade talks between Canada and the US continue.
Carney told reporters on Tuesday that the summit would launch formal negotiations between the EU and Canada that would take another year. He emphasized that the specific terminology used in the declaration was less important than the practical outcomes.
“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
