Von der Leyen Pushes for Deep Canada Ties: EU 'Associate Member'

The European Commission president is advocating for an unprecedentedly close partnership with Canada despite reservations from EU member states.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is urging that Canada be granted "associate member" status in the European Union, network Radio-Canada reported. According to the outlet, the term had previously been removed from a draft joint Canada-EU declaration, yet the commission chief continues to push the initiative.

Czech news website Seznam Zprávy quoted von der Leyen stating that the EU seeks to "build a partnership that will come closer to membership than anything we have done so far." However, the report noted that specific parameters of the emerging pact are encountering pushback and reservations from several member states.

Further details regarding the final text of the agreement and the timeline for its completion have not yet been released.