Post by @globeandmail

Canada's potential new status as the European Union's first “associate member,” as mooted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a speech on Wednesday, would not be a big improvement, materially, on Canada’s current commercial, military and policy relationships with Europe, writes columnist Doug Saunders. There are some exciting things Canada could do with the EU, but nothing close to the benefits of bloc membership or participation in its single market, which I understand neither Ottawa nor Brussels has sought. Canada would, at best, be getting a third-tier association agreement. #Canada #EU #opinion #europe