European Commission: associated status is currently being discussed only with Canada — Cyprus Mail
The European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, has dismissed speculation that Australia could become the next country to receive a new EU associate member status. For now, the initiative concerns only Canada, Cyprus Mail reports, citing Reuters.
Meeting with Australia
European Commission deputy spokesperson Arianna Podesta said that the upcoming meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is not related to the issue of associate status. The meeting was announced on the same day and is due to take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week.
According to Podesta, the EU has strong and close relations with its Australian partners, while other suggestions are speculation that the Commission will not comment on.
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Dialogue with Canada
Ursula von der Leyen first voiced the idea of associate member status for Canada during her State of the European Union address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg last Wednesday. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the speech. Von der Leyen said she welcomed this ambition and described it as an alliance for the future that the parties would shape together.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola later suggested that Australia and New Zealand could follow a similar path. This prompted speculation about a possible expansion of the new status, but European Commission trade spokesperson Olof Gill stressed that the priority is to define the proposal together with Canada.
A meeting of EU and Canadian representatives is scheduled in Ottawa for October 29–30. The proposed associate member status has no legal definition, and EU member states are cautiously assessing the idea. A German government spokesperson said Berlin was ready to discuss new partnership models but noted that the wording of the status itself requires review.
