EU Draft Replaces 'Associate Membership' for Canada With Looser Wording

A draft joint statement for the EU-Canada summit in Montreal has dropped a proposed work programme on "associate membership" in favour of looser language, according to the Guardian, which said it had seen the draft. In its place, the text says the two sides would "work to define by the 2027 EU-Canada summit the concept of an ever closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself."

The idea of a closer status for Canada came from the European Commission, the EU's executive arm. Its president, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed that Canada become the EU's first "associate member" in September, and said last month in her State of the Union address that the EU would consider associate membership for Canada. Associate membership is generally understood as a formal tie short of full membership. Prime Minister Carney has said Canada seeks a "unique alliance" with the EU but not membership.

Member states have disagreed over the wording. Germany argued that associate membership should be reserved as an interim step for prospective candidate countries such as Ukraine or Montenegro, and suggested the phrase "an ever closer association of Canada." Italy proposed keeping the words "associate membership as proposed by the commission," with the definition to be worked out later by member states. The idea had previously been mooted for Ukraine and rejected.

According to the Guardian, EU ambassadors raised concerns about the offer at a meeting on Monday and looked for a diplomatic way to withdraw it without embarrassing von der Leyen. The EU has since backed away from its offer to Canada to begin talks on becoming an associate member, following disagreements between member states ahead of the summit.

The reaction from Washington has been sharp. US President Donald Trump called the EU's proposal "laughable". He also said the United States might stop trading with Europe "on many things" if he interpreted the associate membership move as a "hostile act".

The summit is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, 29 and 30 October. Prime Minister Carney announced on 25 October that he would host it in Montreal to advance a new Canada-EU partnership. European Council President Costa is travelling to Montreal for the meeting, and the EU and Canada are expected to pledge to launch "an alliance for the future". Leaders are expected to issue a joint statement at the close of the summit.

For context, no country has joined the EU as a full member since Croatia did so in 2013.