EU dropping associate membership title for its closer alliance with Canada

According to CBC News, a joint statement due at the 21st Canada-EU summit in Montreal will instead use softer language promising closer ties[1], based on the latest draft it has seen. CBC adds that news that the summit's joint statement won't mention associate membership was first reported by Politico.[1]Reuters reports that Canada and the EU agreed to "ever closer association" but dropped the contentious idea of associate EU membership[2] in a joint declaration it has seen. Reuters says the declaration said work to define the Canada-EU relationship would continue until another summit next year.[2]Diplomats told Reuters that Germany led a group that argued they could not sign up to a concept that had no legal status[2]. A source told CBC that Germany called the term a red line[1]. Sources told The Globe and Mail that the countries objecting felt it would be a confusing term for a country that has no intention of becoming a member.[3]According to Euronews, the change was introduced at Germany's insistence in a revised text circulated to member states on Wednesday[4].Reuters reports that Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters: "The good news is it doesn't matter about specific names or nomenclature"[2].Reuters notes that Donald Trump had called the proposal "laughable"[2].