Von der Leyen touts possible EU ‘associate member’ status for Canada despite objections

POLITICO reports Ursula von der Leyen said on October 29 that the EU and Canada were discussing Canada becoming the bloc’s first “associate member,” with deeper cooperation on AI, climate and energy. Germany and other EU countries opposed using the term. The Straits Times, carrying a Reuters report, says the joint declaration instead calls for an “ever closer association.”