EU Summit Draft Removes Canada Associate Member Title
Leaders in Montreal agreed to drop the label in favor of closer association, focusing on trade and connectivity.
By Anthony Lawson ·
European Union and Canadian leaders removed the term associate member from their joint summit draft on Thursday. The change follows days of negotiation among the 27 EU nations before the formal statement is released on Friday.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, first proposed the idea in September. She suggested Canada could become the first non-European country to hold that status. The proposal aimed to strengthen ties as both blocs sought to reduce reliance on the United States under President Donald Trump.
Diplomats told Reuters and the dpa news agency that the concept divided EU member states. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other leaders pushed to delete the specific labels from the text. The final draft now uses the phrase ever closer association instead.
The revised document outlines several concrete projects. It calls for new subsea cable infrastructure to connect Europe, Canada, and Asia. It also proposes a feasibility study for exporting Canadian liquefied natural gas to Europe. Additional measures will allow young workers from both sides to work across the Atlantic.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hosts the summit in Montreal. He has prioritized closer ties with Europe to lower Canada's dependence on the US. This strategy began after Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods. The EU is currently Canada's second-largest trading partner, while the US remains the largest.
Trump previously called the associate membership idea laughable. He warned that if he viewed the move as a hostile act, the US might stop trading with Europe on many items. Carney addressed the naming issue on Tuesday, stating that specific titles do not matter as much as the practical impact on Canadians.
The summit is expected to launch formal negotiations between the two blocs. Those talks will take approximately one year to complete. The joint statement is scheduled for public release on Friday.
Carney emphasized that the focus is on the difference the new partnership will make to daily life. The leaders aim to finalize the agreement despite ongoing trade discussions with Washington.
