German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius urged a re-evaluation of the proposed “associate member” title on Wednesday, intended to signal closer EU-Canada relations.
“Canada is a particularly close partner for Europe, which is why we are open to discussing new partnership models that would reflect the special importance of this relationship,” Stefan Kornelius told reporters. “However, we should reconsider the terminology – the label – associated with it,” he added.
Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she wanted Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member” and called for relations to be brought “to the highest level possible.”