LONDON — The European Union has just offered Canada “associate EU membership.” Don’t expect it to do the same for Brexit Britain. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s surprise announcement came during her State of the Union address in Strasbourg on Wednesday. The idea of “associate membership” has already piqued the interest of some in London.
Ten years after voters chose to leave the EU, lawmakers in Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s ruling Labour Party are looking for ways to unpick the Brexit settlement without re-opening old political wounds. The envoy, who like others quoted in this story was granted anonymity to speak about the sensitive topic, added: “We have several similar partners that would be interested and we will have to see what it means in practice.” But decision-makers in Brussels have been quick to nip the idea in the bud. One senior EU official told POLITICO that von der Leyen’s offer to Canada is about cutting a deal for a country normally ineligible to join the EU.
It isn’t for European countries with commitment issues. Norway shouldn’t be looking at this and thinking ‘oh we want more.’ This isn’t for them. Their route to that is to join the EU.
Same for the U.K.” Just as well then that the British government is not currently exploring the idea, according to one person familiar with U.K. government thinking on EU policy. Instead, Burnham’s government is focused on wrapping up a “reset” of relations by his predecessor Keir Starmer. This relatively modest program includes a deal to smooth trade in agri-food, establish a youth mobility scheme, and sign an agreement to coordinate emissions trading.
The deals are meant to be signed off at an EU-U.K. summit to be held by the end of the year. The meeting is yet to be scheduled, however, and talks have been complicated by disputes over EU protectionism on steel and procurement, as well as wrangling over the rate of tuition fees paid by European students studying in Britain. It’s unclear whether von der Leyen’s proposal will go anywhere.
Carney hasn’t actually asked to become a member of anything — rather, he told delegates Tuesday at an investment summit in Toronto that he wanted to build a “unique security and economic alliance” with Europe. Reports ahead of Carney’s speech that he would be proposing associate EU membership appear not to have come true — though von der Leyen seemed to respond on Wednesday as if they had. Yet practically, Canada and the EU are not even using their existing cooperation to full effect.
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