EU countries have refused to support the European Commission's proposal to grant Canada the status of an associate member of the EU. At the insistence of Germany and several other states, the corresponding wording was removed from the draft joint declaration of the EU-Canada summit, taking place on October 29–30 in Montreal.
This was reported on October 29 by Euronews and Deutsche Welle, citing European diplomats. The text agreed by EU states envisages further rapprochement with Canada, but without granting it a new official status.
The main opponent of the initial initiative was Germany. Berlin demanded first to define the specific conditions of cooperation with Ottawa, and only then to discuss its legal formalization. Objections to the initial draft declaration were also voiced by France, Italy and Greece.
The proposal to grant Canada associate membership was put forward in September by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It was envisaged that Canada would become the first country with such status, gaining the opportunity for closer participation in European programs and consultations on key political and economic issues.
However, the current treaties of the European Union do not provide for such a category of membership. According to European diplomats, this created legal uncertainty and could set a precedent for other states interested in special relations with the EU.
Additional questions arose because the same term had previously been used in discussions of Ukraine's European integration. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had proposed considering associate membership as a possible intermediate format for Kyiv's participation in European institutions before full accession. However, this idea did not gain coordinated development.
As a result, the document of the EU-Canada summit now contains wording on further deepening of partnership instead of associate membership. The specific model of the new relationship is to be determined by the next summit in 2027. The agreed text is planned to be officially released on October 30.
At the same time, European governments do not oppose expanding cooperation with Canada. The parties intend to develop joint projects in the defense industry, energy, trade, digital technologies and supplies of critical raw materials.
According to the official agenda of the European Council, one of the outcomes of the meeting should be the creation of a “Future Alliance” — a new mechanism for economic and political interaction between the EU and Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also prefers the practical content of future agreements rather than their legal name. For Ottawa, strengthening relations with the European Union has become part of a strategy to diversify trade and reduce economic dependence on the United States amid tariff disputes with Washington.
Despite the removal of the controversial wording, Ursula von der Leyen continues to support the idea of the closest possible integration of Canada with the EU. However, the implementation of such a format will require agreement with the member states of the European Union.
