The EU backed away from offering Canada talks on associate membership after objections from Germany and other member states. A draft joint statement for the Montreal summit instead proposed “an ever closer association” short of full membership; Canada and the EU said they would pursue closer ties.
WHO:The European Union
WHAT:The EU backed away from its offer to Canada to begin talks on associate membership.
WHEN:Reported Oct 28, 2026 at 5:27 PM ET
WHERE:Montreal, Canada
WHY:Objections from Germany and other EU member states prompted the EU to back away from the offer.
How this story developed (showing 3 of 3 earlier reports)
