{"id":24567,"date":"2026-10-29T11:15:41","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T11:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/29\/greece-joins-push-to-drop-canada-offer\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T11:15:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T11:15:41","slug":"greece-joins-push-to-drop-canada-offer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/29\/greece-joins-push-to-drop-canada-offer\/","title":{"rendered":"Greece joins push to drop Canada offer"},"content":{"rendered":"


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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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The latest draft now promises Canada an \u201cever closer association\u201d with the 27-nation bloc, Politico Europe reported<\/a> on Wednesday. Leaders meet in Montreal on Thursday and Friday.<\/p>\n

Why Greece opposed associate membership<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Diplomats said the idea caught some EU capitals off guard. They also said the Commission had not consulted them first.<\/p>\n

Read more: EU considers new security council with UK, Canada, Norway and Ukraine<\/p>\n

Germany led the pushback, diplomats told Euronews<\/a>. Italy also objected. Those capitals argued the term has no clear meaning in EU law.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main concern is that this is unknown terminology, it might bring up legal uncertainty and expectations from other third countries,\u201d one EU diplomat said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

What the new wording says<\/h3>\n

An earlier draft committed both sides to define \u201cthe concept of Associate Member\u201d by the 2027 EU-Canada Summit. The revised text drops that phrase.<\/p>\n

Under the new wording, both sides will define \u201can ever closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself\u201d by 2027. EU countries must still give the text final approval.<\/p>\n

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney played down the loss of associate membership. Days earlier, he visited a former Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe good news is it doesn\u2019t matter about specific names or nomenclature. What matters is the difference that it will make to lives of Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u2019s Greek community.<\/p>\n

Greece helped shape a cautious compromise on associate membership. Even so, the door to closer EU ties with Canada stays open.<\/p>\n

Source: Politico<\/em><\/p>\n

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