EU
EU drops “associate membership” from Canada declaration after German objections
Ahead of the Montreal summit, the new text speaks of “ever closer association” between Canada and the EU, without opening a path to full membership.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 28, 2026, 16:30 · Updated 18:42 · 1 min read
In brief
- The draft EU–Canada summit declaration no longer mentions “associate membership,” the term proposed by Ursula von der Leyen.
- Germany objected to the term, arguing that it does not exist in the treaties and could have legal consequences.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney prefers the phrase “alliance for the future” and says the terminology is a matter for the EU.
The European Union has removed any mention of “associate membership” from the latest draft of the political declaration expected to be adopted at the EU–Canada summit in Montreal. According to Euronews, the text instead now speaks of a commitment to “ever closer association” between Canada and the EU, a formula that stops short of full membership.
Berlin against the term
The change came after objections from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government. Germany argued that the term “associate membership” does not exist in the Union's treaties and could have significant legal consequences, and wants it first defined what closer cooperation means in practice. France, Italy and Greece had also raised concerns about an earlier version of the text.
According to ATSH, citing sources in Brussels, the debate has focused less on deepening the partnership and more on the words used to describe Canada's status, with the aim of avoiding any wording that could be read as a step toward membership.
Von der Leyen's idea
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen floated the idea in her State of the Union address last month, inviting Canada to become the EU's first associate member. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has preferred the phrase “alliance for the future,” saying the substance of the agreement is what matters and that the EU should settle the terminology.
The revised text was sent to member states on Wednesday under the silent procedure, meaning it is considered adopted unless a country objects by the deadline.
