@hightor,
hightor wrote:
Quote:Canada isn't even in Europe, that's how delusional Liberals are.
Setting up a “unique security and economic alliance” with the EU doesn't require Canada to be in Europe.
The status of ‘associated membership’ – in other words, a middle ground between being outside and being inside – does not currently exist in the European Union. There are member states, there are candidate countries currently undergoing the accession process, and there are states that are closely linked to the EU economically and politically but do not seek formal membership. However, the idea of allowing for associate membership was put forward for debate by the German Government a few months ago. Berlin’s aim was to encourage Ukraine in this way and to show that its integration with Europe is progressing, even if full membership is still a long way off. The core of the plan was to allow the government in Kyiv to send representatives to the regular meetings of EU ministers in Brussels, as well as to the summits of heads of state and government – in each case with the right to speak but not to vote. Granting Ukraine this privilege would probably be easier than in the case of Canada. This is because Ukraine could one day actually become an EU member.
As the EU Treaty stipulates that only ‘European states’ are eligible, Canada cannot.
It is still unclear what form the planned associate membership would take.
German Chancellor Merz had recently made a similar proposal for Ukraine.
According to Merz’s vision, associate membership could enable Ukraine to participate in EU summits and Council of Ministers meetings – albeit without voting rights. He also mentioned as possible options for Ukraine a role as an associate member of the European Commission without a portfolio or voting rights, associate Members of the European Parliament, and an associate judge at the Court of Justice of the European Union.
In my view, there will be an association agreement tailored to Canadian circumstances and wishes.
Let me make this absolutely clear once again:
Canada does NOT want to and CANNOT become an EU Member State.
That is why there cannot and will not be any ‘Billions To Get Back Out Of the EU’.