The EU and UK Announce Deal to Reset Relationship
During a summit in London between UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, the EU and the UK have unveiled a deal to “reset” their relationship. Here are the key points of the agreement:
Defence and Security Pact
- Six-monthly foreign and security “policy dialogues” between the UK foreign secretary and the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, with regular invitations for the UK to join high-level meetings of the EU.
- An annual EU-UK dialogue on defence, potential participation in crisis management exercises, and deeper cooperation on space, cyber security, and the “shadow fleet.”
- Personnel training exchanges through the EU and UK’s defence colleges and the UK’s potential participation in a €150bn loans-for-arms fund.
Fisheries Agreement
- A 12-year deal guaranteeing EU boats access to UK waters from 2025 to 2038, continued access to UK’s coastal waters, and access based on historical tonnage caught.
Veterinary Agreement
- Working towards a deal for agrifood exports to the EU without checks, dynamic alignment with EU rules, and an independent arbitration mechanism to settle disputes.
- The UK to contribute financially to implement the agreement.
Youth Mobility, Business Mobility, and Touring Artists
- Working towards a youth experience scheme for 18 to 30-year-olds, potential rejoining of the EU’s Erasmus+ program, and support for touring artists in the EU.
- Agreement to discuss easier business visas and mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
Energy Trading and Carbon Border Taxes
- Exploring UK participation in the EU’s internal energy market, relinking emissions trading schemes, and exemption from EU’s carbon border tax if relinking is achieved.
- Dynamic alignment with EU rules and financial contributions from the UK.
Security Exchanges and Border Security
- Finalizing arrangements for co-operation with Europol, information exchanges on terrorism and serious crimes, and deepening co-operation on irregular migration.
- Exploring ways to exchange information databases and sharing best practices on managing returns of irregular migrants.