German ambassador says Germany was surprised by the associate-member offer but could still agree
Matthias LüttenbergGerman Ambassador to Canada, interviewed on CTV News' Power Play
Germany's ambassador to Canada said the associate-membership announcement surprised some EU governments but did not rule out agreement on it. He called the proposal a gesture of good will toward Canada and said the term was still under discussion.
“I think we have been a little surprised by the announcement, which doesn't mean that we cannot agree on it”
Reporting
Other statements by Matthias Lüttenberg in this case
- German ambassador says the two sides should give the associate-member label real contentLater: Mixed or conditional
Where this statement fits
Should Canada become an associate member of the European Union?
In her State of the European Union address on 16 September 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would like to work with Prime Minister Mark Carney on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the European Union, as part of moving beyond the existing CETA trade agreement to what she called an Alliance for the Future. Carney, present as an invited guest, told the European Parliament the following day that Canada welcomes the ambition, while attributing the associate-member phrase to von der Leyen rather than adopting it, and promised debates and a vote in the Canadian Parliament on the final structure. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre set red lines against Canadians paying taxes to Brussels, following European laws they did not vote on, or adopting European immigration policy. United States President Donald Trump said that if he judged the arrangement a hostile act he would impose heavy tariffs on Europe or curtail trade. No agreement has been signed, and associate membership is not a status defined in the European Union's treaties.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
CTV News report on the EU officials' briefing before the Montreal summit, including remarks by Prime Minister Mark Carney to reporters on Parliament Hill and by German Ambassador Matthias Luttenberg on Power Play.
Before the quotation
Interviewed on CTV News' Power Play two days before the Montreal summit, Lüttenberg said Germany has long supported closer ties between Canada and Europe and that a new concept proposed in the EU takes time for all 27 member states to consider.
After the quotation
CTV reports that he said Germany already uses the term associated membership for the EU's relationship with countries such as Ukraine, that he saw no bad intention behind the proposal, and that the term was still open for discussion.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to whether Canada should become an associate member of the European Union, Lüttenberg supports closer ties but says the new concept needs time for all 27 member states to consider, and leaves open whether Germany will accept the label. That is a conditional position on the proposal rather than support or opposition.
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More from this case
Read the full caseCarleton's Achim Hurrelmann doubts an associate-member status for Canada can be set up soon
“I'm not sure if a status with that name can be established for Canada any time soon”Read statement
Poilievre says the summit cut no tariffs and warns against aligning Canada with European policies
“Worse, there was lots of talk at the summit about aligning Canada with the insane European taxes, debt, immigration and anti-oil and gas policies that have left parts of Europe bankrupt and burning.”Read statement
Von der Leyen calls associate membership uncharted territory to shape together
“The concept of an associate member is uncharted territory, but we have the ambition, trust and creativity to shape it together”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "German ambassador says Germany was surprised by the associate-member offer but could still agree". First published: 2026-10-28. Last updated: 2026-10-28. https://disputeindex.com/events/7126-germany-s-ambassador-to-canada-said-the-associate