Canada and the European Union are not including the term “associate member/associate membership” in a draft statement for a Canada–EU summit, according to CTV News. BNN Bloomberg reports that the phrase does not appear in the draft version.
Euronews adds context that the EU removes the wording after objections from Germany. In its account, the declaration language is revised to use “ever closer association” instead, while keeping the focus on strengthening ties between the EU and Canada. Together, the outlets indicate the dispute is mainly over terminology in the summit’s draft declaration rather than an announced change in broader relations.
Both reports frame the update as a drafting change ahead of the summit, with Euronews emphasizing Germany’s role in the revision and BNN Bloomberg emphasizing the absence of the term in the finalizing text.
