EU Leaders Reject Canada 'Associate Membership' Proposal Ahead of Montreal Summit
EU member states voted to drop the term "associate member" from a draft declaration, opting for a framework of closer ties with Canada as the two-day EU-Canada summit begins in Montreal.
EU governments voted on Wednesday to remove the phrase "associate member" from a draft declaration that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had proposed for Canada. The revised text calls for a plan to deepen "closer ties" between the bloc and Canada without granting any form of membership.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and several other leaders pushed for the change, citing uncertainties in EU treaties and the lack of a clear legal basis for such a status. France, Italy and other states also voiced objections, although they continue to support stronger cooperation with Canada.
The original proposal, announced by von der Leyen in September, would have allowed Canada to take part in consultations on major EU political and regulatory initiatives as an associate member, with the full scope to be defined at the 2027 EU-Canada summit. Diplomats said member states were concerned about the terminology, which had previously been used in discussions about Ukraine’s potential accession.
"The precise terminology matters less than the practical benefits closer cooperation would bring to Canadians," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, downplaying the wording dispute.
The revised declaration emphasizes an "Alliance for the Future," a phrase Carney has used to describe EU-Canada relations. It aims to reduce trade barriers, boost investment, and secure supplies of critical raw materials, medicines and technologies during crises. Both sides also plan to expand cooperation on energy, climate protection, artificial intelligence, security and education, and to create a new economic council for transatlantic businesses.
A study will examine the feasibility of increasing Canadian liquefied natural gas exports to Europe, while several economic commitments from the original draft were softened. An explicit goal of deeper financial-market integration was removed, and promises of preferential treatment in economic security measures were replaced with language about limiting negative impacts on each other.
The push for a stronger EU-Canada partnership comes amid uncertainty in relations with the United States under President Donald Trump, whose administration has raised trade disputes and threatened tariff measures. Both the EU and Canada see deeper cooperation as a way to reduce reliance on the United States and to pursue shared interests.