Von der Leyen touts ‘associate member’ status for Canada over objections of EU capitals
Von der Leyen says the partnership could deepen trade, Arctic cooperation and youth exchanges as EU members debate the term "associate member."
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Mark Carney opened a two-day summit in Montreal Thursday aimed at forging a deeper Canada-European Union partnership while reducing dependence on the United States.
- Von der Leyen surprised many last month by proposing "associate membership" for Canada to align policies on AI, energy, and climate, clarifying: "It is an association without accession."
- Germany and other European Union members opposed the "associate membership" term, calling it a red line; the language was replaced with "ever closer association" in joint statements before Friday's summit conclusion.
- Prime Minister Carney downplayed nomenclature disputes, saying "What matters is the difference that it will make to the lives of Canadians." The summit agenda includes Erasmus exchanges, Arctic collaboration, and Ukraine support.
- Concerns persist that President Donald Trump might interpret the alliance as a "hostile act" and disrupt trade, though a Canadian official stated Wednesday the summit reflects mutual interests, not retaliation.
46 Articles
46 Articles
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Layen, stated that she intended to grant Canada associate membership despite the objections of Germany and a number of other European States. "Because of geography, Canada cannot become a full member of the EU, but we all want to raise relations to the highest level. So we are discussing the idea of making Canada the first associate member of the European Union in history. The idea of simply – …
The people welcome this future cooperation, but questions remain as to its modalities. ...
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Thursday that this week's Canada-European Union (EU) summit opened the way for discussions to make Canada the first "associate member" of the Union.
Montreal (Canada), 29 Oct (EFE).- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insisted this Thursday on her proposal that Canada become the first associate member of the European Union (EU), although several Member States, led by Germany, have raised objections to that name at the bilateral summit [...] The entry Von der Leyen insists that Canada be an associate member of the EU despite objections was first published in HolaNews.
The exact contours of this new form of partnership should be clarified on Friday.
The EU and Canada are aiming to deepen their cooperation in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, climate, energy and security, as they consider the possibility of the North American country becoming the first “associated member” of the EU. This was emphasized today by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, insisting that the term “associated member”, a term opposed by many EU countries, has no legal content. Canada is a …
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