EU drops associate membership proposal for Canada after German objections
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The European Union has dropped the term “associate membership” from a draft declaration ahead of its summit with Canada, replacing it with a commitment to pursue “ever closer association” following objections from Germany and other member states.
The revised text, circulated on Wednesday, is due to be adopted at the EU-Canada summit in Montreal on Thursday and Friday. European Council President António Costa’s office held talks with several member states to address concerns over the wording.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the first associate member of the EU in her State of the Union address to the European Parliament last month.
However, an earlier draft of the declaration faced objections from Germany, France, Italy and Greece. Germany emerged as the strongest opponent, arguing that the focus should be on defining practical cooperation rather than using a term absent from EU treaties that could carry significant legal implications.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had previously proposed a similar status for Ukraine as a way of providing security guarantees before the country joins the bloc.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has favoured the phrase “alliance for the future”, emphasising the substance of closer cooperation while leaving the terminology to the EU.
The latest draft has been resubmitted to member states for approval under the bloc’s silent procedure, whereby a text is adopted unless a member explicitly objects.
