EU set to drop 'associate member' offer for Canada before Montreal summit

Draft wording on Canada's status

EU countries have reportedly dropped the idea of offering Canada 'associate member' status, according to the latest draft of the joint statement seen by Politico. In its place, the text promises an 'even closer association' between Canada and the EU, short of full membership. A group of countries including Germany, Italy, Greece and France objected to naming associate membership in the statement to be issued in Montreal, diplomats said. The text still needs final approval, and member states have until 6 p.m. to raise objections.

The idea came from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who proposed it in her State of the Union speech in Strasbourg on 16 September, catching some EU capitals off guard. The next day, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney repeated his intention to forge an 'alliance for the future' with the EU, according to La Libre. The draft also commits both sides to work on defining the concept by the 2027 EU-Canada summit.

The summit in Montreal

Leaders are set to meet in Montreal on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October. Von der Leyen will be joined by European Council President Antonio Costa, while Carney will be accompanied by Canadian ministers. About ten European commissioners, including foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, are also due to attend. A European source close to the talks described it as perhaps one of the most important summits the EU has ever held with a third country. The partners are preparing a digital trade agreement, and Canada wants access to the Horizon research programme and the Erasmus student exchange scheme.

Foundations of the relationship

The two sides are already closely tied. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta), which has linked them since 2016, eliminated 98% of customs duties, and trade in goods and services grew by 80% in nine years. In 2025 they signed a security and defence partnership, which makes Canada the only non-European country whose companies can take part in the EU's Safe rearmament programme. Canada is a NATO member, as are 23 EU countries, and it belongs to the coalition of the willing supporting Ukraine. Officials say the aim is to move the relationship from good to excellent and from solid to more solid.

Why the wording matters

The summit is meant to show EU defiance of US President Donald Trump's approach to liberal multilateralism, yet it risks being overshadowed by a row over terminology. Capitals fear the label muddies the waters for countries seeking full membership, such as Ukraine, for Norway, which pays for preferential access to the single market, and for Israel and Chile, which have existing association agreements with the EU. Diplomats complained that von der Leyen promised a status before defining it, and one EU official involved in the negotiations described it as association without accession.