European Union member states have failed to reach consensus on granting Canada "associate membership" status, with at least four countries objecting to the term's inclusion in a joint summit statement, Politico reported Tuesday.
EU ambassadors failed to reach an agreement on the wording during talks Monday, according to the report.
A subsequent attempt to approve the statement through a so-called silence procedure also failed after Germany and at least three other countries raised objections before Tuesday's midday deadline, two EU diplomats told Politico.
The issue is expected to return to the agenda at another meeting of EU ambassadors Wednesday, a day before the EU-Canada summit begins in Montreal.
Germany is leading efforts to remove the term "associate membership" entirely from the proposed text, the diplomats said.
The disagreement reflects divisions within the bloc over the proposed status, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during her State of the Union address in Strasbourg last month.
Four EU diplomats previously told Politico that von der Leyen had not consulted member state capitals before putting forward the proposal.
Von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and several European commissioners are expected to travel to Montreal for the Oct. 29-30 summit.
The talks are expected to focus on strengthening EU-Canada relations and expanding cooperation in trade, energy, education and the Arctic.
