European Union member states have blocked a proposal from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to grant Canada special “associate member” status of the bloc.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and several other EU leaders pushed to remove the term from a draft declaration ahead of the two-day EU-Canada summit that begins Thursday in Montreal, according to diplomats cited by news agencies dpa and AFP.
The revised document instead calls for a plan to establish “closer ties” between Canada and the EU without membership.
The declaration was approved by EU member states on Wednesday evening and is expected to be published on Friday, following the summit.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and several European commissioners are participating in the negotiations.
Why did EU countries oppose Canada’s associate membership?
Von der Leyen first proposed making Canada the EU’s first “associate member” in September during a speech attended by Carney.
However, the proposal has raised questions among member states because existing EU treaties do not provide for such a status.
Diplomats said several governments were concerned about the lack of clarity surrounding the proposed deal and insufficient consultations between the European Commission and EU member states.
Germany, France and Italy were among the countries that raised objections, even though they largely support closer cooperation with Canada.
Another concern was that the term “associate member” had already been used in discussions about Ukraine’s potential membership in the EU.
Merz had previously suggested such a status for Ukraine as an intermediate step towards full membership. According to his proposal, kyiv could participate in EU summits and ministerial meetings without the right to vote.
Von der Leyen, however, used the same term to describe a different arrangement for Canada, a country that does not have a legal path to EU membership.
An earlier version of the summit declaration would have allowed Canada to participate in consultations on key EU policy and regulatory initiatives as an associate member.
He also called for the full scope of the agreement to be defined by the 2027 EU-Canada summit.
Carney, meanwhile, downplayed the dispute over the wording of the summit declaration.
He said the precise terminology was less important than the practical benefits closer cooperation would bring to Canadians.
What will closer cooperation between the EU and Canada entail?
Despite the disagreement over terminology, both parties intend to significantly deepen their partnership.
The revised declaration focuses on an “Alliance for the Future,” a term Carney has frequently used to describe Canada-EU relations.
The initiative aims to remove trade barriers, facilitate investments and secure the supply of essential raw materials, medicines and technologies during crises.
Both sides also want to strengthen cooperation in the areas of energy, climate protection, artificial intelligence, security and education.
Canada could benefit from broader access to EU programs covering research, education and defence.
A new economic council is planned to bring together businesses from both sides of the Atlantic.
The statement also calls for a study on the feasibility of increasing Canadian exports of liquefied natural gas to Europe.
However, EU governments watered down several economic commitments in the original draft.
The explicit objective of further integration of financial markets has been removed. Instead of promising preferential treatment in economic security measures, both sides now intend to limit potential negative effects on each other.
How has Donald Trump affected EU-Canada relations?
This push for closer ties comes amid growing uncertainty over relations with the United States under President Donald Trump.
Trade disputes, U.S. tariffs and Trump’s territorial claims have raised concerns in Canada and Europe about Washington’s reliability as a partner.
Both sides hope that closer cooperation will help reduce their dependence on other countries and strengthen their ability to pursue common interests.
Trump previously rejected the idea of Canada’s associate membership in the EU, calling it ridiculous.
He also threatened consequences if the deal harmed U.S. interests, warning that it could impose high tariffs or disrupt trade with Europe in several sectors.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
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