Brussels admits that Canada's "associate member" status is still to be defined and clarifies that it is not an accession.

On September 18 in Brussels, the European Commission confirmed that Canada is currently negotiating its participation in the European Union's 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine. Balazs Ujvari, a spokesperson for the Commission, announced the ongoing talks during the daily institutional press briefing.

At the same time, Brussels addressed the broader institutional relationship between the EU and Canada. The Commission admitted that the specific status of "associate member"—a proposal initially put forward by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for Canada—remains undefined and explicitly clarified that this arrangement does not constitute a formal accession to the bloc.

In light of these discussions, the European Commission stated that it will continue dialogue with both the EU member states and Canada regarding the proposed association. The diplomatic talks encompass both the immediate financial coordination concerning aid to Ukraine and the long-term structural framework of Canada's potential association with the Union.