EU-Canada Summit: Draft Statement Dumps Associate Membership Title

The European Union has removed the language designating Canada as an associate member from a draft joint statement, according to reports from dpa and Reuters. The change was finalized on Thursday just before the EU-Canada summit began in Montreal.

The summit is hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that Canada become the first associate member of the 27-nation bloc. The idea was framed as a way for both parties to pivot away from the United States under President Donald Trump.

Negotiations among EU member states turned divisive over the phrasing. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and several other leaders pushed to strip the title from the declaration. Diplomatic sources cited by the news agencies confirmed that the pressure led to the removal of the terms "associate member" and "associated membership."

The revised text now calls for an "ever closer association" between the two entities. It includes a joint initiative to build new subsea cable infrastructure to improve connectivity between Europe, Canada, and Asia. The statement also proposes a feasibility study on Canadian liquefied natural gas exports to Europe and a program to allow young Canadians and Europeans to work across the Atlantic.

Carney has sought to deepen ties with the EU, Canada's second-largest trading partner, after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump previously described the associate membership proposal as "laughable" and warned that the US might halt trade with Europe on many fronts if he viewed the move as hostile.

Carney told reporters on Tuesday that the summit marks the start of formal negotiations that will last another year. He dismissed the loss of the specific title, stating, "The good news is it doesn't matter about specific names or nomenclature. What matters is the difference it will make to the lives of Canadians."

EU and Canadian officials plan to make the final statement public on Friday, following the opening of the summit proceedings.