Canada and European Union Drop Associate Member Status from Upcoming Summit Declaration
Canada and the EU drop contentious associate membership proposals, opting for closer association language ahead of the Montreal summit.
POLICY WIRE — Ottawa and Brussels — European Union and Canadian officials have officially removed the controversial concept of associate membership from an upcoming joint declaration ahead of a high-stakes bilateral meeting.
Negotiators pivoted away from the eye-catching label, substituting it instead with a pledge to pursue an ever closer association between the two economies.
The two-day summit in Montreal, scheduled to open on Thursday and Friday, brings together Canadian leadership and the 27-nation bloc to deepen diplomatic and economic ties.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen initially floated the idea of making Canada the bloc’s first associate member roughly six weeks prior to the gathering, triggering immediate friction among member states.
Germany spearheaded opposition to the designation within the European Union, joined by governments in countries such as Greece and France during internal negotiations over the summit text.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting the meetings in Montreal amidst the evolving diplomatic framework, though the revised draft statement avoids any formal mention of the contested status.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
