A proposal that did not survive the drafting room
European Union governments have set aside the option of calling Canada an associate member of the bloc, according to the most recent draft of a joint statement reviewed by POLITICO. The text, prepared for a high-profile EU-Canada summit, now uses gentler wording that pledges an ever closer association between the two sides. The change removes a phrase that had briefly suggested a new category of partnership.[S1]
Diplomats said a group of member states, among them Germany, Greece and France, resisted any reference to associate membership in the statement that is to be released in Montreal. Their objection was enough to push the language in a different direction during negotiations on the final text.[S1]
How the idea entered the debate
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first raised associate membership for Canada in her State of the European Union address in September. The proposal took a number of EU capitals by surprise, and it has now been dropped from the draft that leaders were preparing to endorse.[S1]
Outlets in Ireland and Canada also reported that the associate member designation had been scrapped as the two partners pursued closer ties, matching the account of the draft statement.[S2][S3]
