Ursula von der Leyen proposes Canada become EU's 'first associate member'
The European Commission president has floated the idea of creating a new status to deepen ties with Ottawa, a concept that currently lacks any legal basis and has raised questions on both sides of the Atlantic.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed that Canada become the European Union's "first associate member," according to Le Monde. The announcement would mark an unprecedented step in relations between Brussels and Ottawa.
The "associate member" status mentioned by von der Leyen currently has no legal standing under European treaties, Le Monde notes. Its implementation would therefore require creating a new institutional framework, whose details remain to be worked out.
The proposal raises numerous questions both in Canada and across European Union member states, the newspaper reports. The concrete terms of such a status, its legal and political implications, and how it would fit with existing agreements between the EU and Canada—notably the CETA trade deal—all remain unclear.
Neither the European Commission nor the Canadian government has yet publicly outlined the precise contours of this proposal, whose exact scope remains uncertain for now.
Sources
- Ursula von der Leyen propose au Canada de devenir le « premier membre associé » de l’Union européenne — Le Monde — Une
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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