Greece is among the EU countries that pushed to drop associate membership for Canada from a joint EU-Canada text. Germany and France also objected, diplomats said.
The latest draft now promises Canada an “ever closer association” with the 27-nation bloc, Politico Europe reported on Wednesday. Leaders meet in Montreal on Thursday and Friday.
Why Greece opposed associate membership
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first raised associate membership for Canada in September. She made the offer in her State of the European Union speech.
Diplomats said the idea caught some EU capitals off guard. They also said the Commission had not consulted them first.
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Germany led the pushback, diplomats told Euronews. Italy also objected. Those capitals argued the term has no clear meaning in EU law.
“The main concern is that this is unknown terminology, it might bring up legal uncertainty and expectations from other third countries,” one EU diplomat said.
For Athens, the main worry was the risk of a precedent for other non-EU countries, diplomatic sources told Greek media. Greece did not want a new status that others could later claim.
What the new wording says
An earlier draft committed both sides to define “the concept of Associate Member” by the 2027 EU-Canada Summit. The revised text drops that phrase.
Under the new wording, both sides will define “an ever closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself” by 2027. EU countries must still give the text final approval.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney played down the loss of associate membership. Days earlier, he visited a former Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul.
“The good news is it doesn’t matter about specific names or nomenclature. What matters is the difference that it will make to lives of Canadians.”
Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
Brussels is still offering Canada a much wider partnership on trade, security and supply chains. The summit also takes place in the home city of Montreal’s Greek community.
Greece helped shape a cautious compromise on associate membership. Even so, the door to closer EU ties with Canada stays open.
Source: Politico
