In the face of continuous provocations and pressure from U.S. President Trump regarding tariffs and sovereignty issues, Canada and the European Union have moved closer to each other. European Commission President Von der Leyen even proposed that Canada should become the EU’s first “quasi-member country”. However, this proposal has sparked strong doubts among EU member states.
According to Euronews’ report on October 27, the EU and Canada will hold a summit in Montreal, Canada, from the 29th to the 30th. Both parties plan to issue a joint statement to further deepen their partnership. However, the concept of ‘quasi-member states’ proposed by Fiedler has become a major controversy during the negotiations for the statement.
Five EU diplomats revealed that several member states led by Germany have questioned this undefined concept, fearing it would create legal uncertainties and set a precedent for other non-EU countries.
A European Union diplomat said bluntly: "The main problem is that this is a unfamiliar term, which may lead to legal uncertainties or trigger expectations from other third countries. The European Commission did not communicate anything about this in advance. We have no idea what we are discussing at all."
This controversy began in September this year. When von der Leyen delivered her annual report on the EU in the European Parliament, she asked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was a guest at the event, to make Canada the first ‘quasi-member state’ of the EU.
However, although this idea was previously proposed to Canada, it has never been formally discussed among EU member states or within the European Commission, leaving member states like Germany and France caught off guard.
In fact, it seems that even John Keny himself doesn’t quite agree with this name. He prefers to call the future partnership between both parties an “alliance for the future”. When asked whether he agrees with the term “soon-to-be-member country”, Keny said, “What matters is the substance.”
Now, as the OEG Summit approaches, the differences between member countries are becoming increasingly apparent.
According to reports, the draft joint statement revised last week explicitly mentioned the concept of ‘qualified member states’. It also pledged that both parties will conduct regular exchanges on major policies and regulatory measures, with the goal of clarifying the full scope of the partnership at the summit in 2027.
However, the draft explicitly uses the term 'qualified member states', which has sparked strong opposition from Germany, Italy, and Greece. Other countries such as France also express doubts about this. If this term is approved, it will be the first time the EU has used this concept in a formal document of significant political importance.
In the new draft distributed on the evening of the 26th, the EU added a phrase at the suggestion of Italy, specifically stating that the concept of "potential members" is "proposed by the European Commission", thereby distinguishing member states from this proposal.
According to the original plan, the draft should be passed through the so-called ‘consent procedure’ on the 27th. This means that the document will automatically be approved as long as no member state objects within the specified time frame.
However, Germany, France, Italy, and Greece all raised objections before the deadline, resulting in the draft not being passed. Nevertheless, Italy's objection did not involve the concept of a “quasi-member state” itself, as its proposed wording amendments were accepted. What Italy requested was an adjustment to another paragraph that dealt with competitiveness, technological sovereignty, and decarbonization transitions.
Currently, a new version of the draft is expected to be distributed by the office of European Council President Costa. Representatives from member states plan to continue consultations on the 28th.
European News Desk pointed out that it is not the first time that von der Leyen has introduced significant initiatives without proper consultation with member states. In 2023, when she announced an immigration agreement with Tunisia, she was criticized for lacking official authorization.
A European Union diplomat stated that while member states agreed to reduce immigration numbers into the country, they did not fully endorse the way Manfred Weber pushed forward with the agreement. “Things are somewhat similar now.”
It is worth mentioning that the person who first proposed the concept of 'quasi-member states' for the EU was actually German Chancellor Merz. However, at that time, he had in mind Ukraine as the target. He hoped to strengthen Ukraine's connection with the EU through arrangements such as security guarantees during the process of making Ukraine a member state.
When applying this concept to Canada, the situation is completely different. According to current EU treaties, only European countries are eligible to apply to join the EU. Canada’s arrangement as a “provisional member country” could set a precedent for establishing closer partnerships between the EU and non-European countries.
A European Union official stated: "There are many other countries that hope to further bridge ties with the EU, but we do not know what kind of cooperation arrangements should be offered. Regardless of what agreement is reached with Canada, it may have a significant motivating effect on other countries."
