The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that the European Union has dropped the idea of designating Canada an "associate member" of the 27-member economic bloc after objections from major players, including Germany and France. The Globe's Seven Chase writes that instead, a new draft of a joint statement, to be issued during a two-day Canada-EU summit that starts Thursday in Montreal, talks of "ever closer association" between Ottawa and Brussels. The EU bought about $43-billion of Canadian goods in 2025, roughly 1 per cent of what it imports, according to a new report from TD Economics. Exports to the EU amount to 5 to 6 per cent of Canada's merchandise exports, roughly the same share as shipments to Britain or China. Canada's exports of $22-billion in services to the EU in 2025 are "barely a blip considering the EU's more than $2-trillion in services imports from non-EU countries," TD said in the report. "European demand increasingly overlaps with Canadian capabilities and the two sides' strategic interest in diversifying economic ties," the bank said. "The largest long-term opportunities span defence, energy, critical minerals, digital markets, as well as financial and other professional services."