‘Associate’ EU membership for Canada not a ‘short-term’ project: expert

Carney said that in the coming months, the two sides will meet to "determine the full substance, scale and scope of this new form of membership,"[2] according to The Canadian Press. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday that she wants a partnership that "comes closer to membership than anything we've done before."[2]The Canadian Press reports that the joint statement commits both sides to "define by the 2027 EU-Canada Summit the concept of an ever-closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself."[2] The agency says the 27-member bloc ultimately opted against including the term "associate member" in the joint statement. The phrase has seen some pushback from countries like Germany[2].Achim Hurrelmann, co-director of Carleton University's Centre for European Studies, told The Canadian Press: "I'm not sure if a status with that name can be established for Canada any time soon."[3] He added that member states "definitely will insist on their right to be heard on that."[2]According to The Canadian Press, Carney will then attend the European Council meetings in June, where the aim is to conclude negotiations.[2] The agency reports that EU members would have to approve the resulting agreement, which would be put to a vote in the House of Commons as well.[2]The Canadian Press also reports that Carney is not married to the term "associate member" and is more concerned about the outcomes from closer economic and defence ties.[2]