Telegraph: Surprised European diplomats also said they were unsure what being an “associate member” actually meant and the bloc’s capitals swiftly moved to reassert control.
“Member states know they are in the lead here. They know substance-wise it can be a trade deal-plus, as a maximum option,” one envoy told The Telegraph.
“Associate member is an empty phrase and member states will put substance into it, but it won’t be groundbreaking.”
One EU diplomat said “nobody really knows what it means”, adding there were concerns that the commission chief was “overpromising and wouldn’t be able to deliver”…