EU removes mention of ‘associate membership’ from Canada declaration

Key Points:

• The EU has removed any reference to associate membership from the latest draft of the joint declaration with Canada, opting instead for a commitment to “ever closer association” without full membership status.
• Germany strongly opposed the term "associate membership," leading to intense negotiations and its replacement in the declaration ahead of the EU-Canada summit in Montreal.
• The proposal for associate membership was initially introduced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen but faced objections from several member states, including Germany, France, Italy, and Greece.
• Germany prioritizes defining practical cooperation with Canada rather than using legally ambiguous terms not present in EU treaties, reflecting concerns about the implications of associate membership.
• The revised text is currently under silent procedure and will be adopted unless any EU member state raises objections by the designated deadline.