EU Proposes Associate Membership for Canada as Brexit Britain Looks On
On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, suggested that Canada might become the inaugural associate member of the European Union. This unique designation aims to facilitate the expansion of the trading bloc and its transformation following the departure of Britain. This initiative indicates that Brussels is focusing more on strengthening its relationship with Ottawa rather than responding positively to London’s attempts to mend post-Brexit ties. Andy Burnham, who took office as Britain’s prime minister in July, has long opposed Brexit and advocated for rejoining the EU, which initially seemed promising for UK-EU relations. However, Brussels appears to be overlooking its neighbor. The implications of associate membership remain unclear and may take years to clarify. Meanwhile, British officials dismissed the announcement, with one stating they needed more details to assess its significance, while another characterized it as a mere political gesture lacking immediate trade or economic consequences.
Key facts
- European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Wednesday that Canada become the first associate member of the EU
- The associate membership title was tailor-made as part of a bid for the trading bloc to expand its borders and reinvent itself following Britain's exit
- Andy Burnham became Britain's new prime minister in July
- Burnham was for years a staunch opponent of Brexit and a vocal supporter of rejoining the European Union
- Brussels is prioritising deepening ties with Ottawa over warming up to the UK leader's overtures to reset post-Brexit relations
- What associate membership means in practice remains to be seen and may take years to determine
- Canada is well ahead of Britain in establishing better relations with the bloc on both trade and security
- British officials shrugged off the announcement, with one saying they could not judge what it meant without any details and another downplaying it as a political move unlikely to have major trade or economic impacts any time soon
Entities
Artists
- Andy Burnham
- Ursula von der Leyen
Institutions
- European Union
- European Commission
Locations
- Canada
- Ottawa
- United Kingdom
- Britain
- Brussels
- Europe
- United States
Sources
- SCMP Culture —
- Quartz —