The European Union abandoned the idea of granting Canada the status of an associate member, the representatives of the association chose a "softer wording", Politico writes. The idea of deepening the cooperation between the EU countries and Ottawa was supposed to be discussed at the summit, which will be held on October 29 and 30 in Montreal. "EU countries rejected the idea of granting associate member status to Canada, opting instead for softer language promising an 'even closer relationship,'" notes Politico.