UK and EU aim for closer ties after summit

Key facts

• The UK and EU aim to strengthen ties and break down trade barriers.
• A May 2025 summit between the UK and EU was seen as a major step in improving relations.
• Agreements were reached on a Security and Defence Partnership, fisheries, and energy cooperation.
• The UK government is committed to resetting relationships and deepening ties with European partners.
• Negotiations are ongoing in areas including sanitary and phytosanitary standards and emission trading systems.
• The UK's Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations, Nick Thomas Symonds, leads the UK's negotiation efforts.

The UK and European Union are working to reset and strengthen their relationship, with a focus on enhancing security, promoting growth, and managing migration. A summit held on May 19, 2025, was characterized as a significant advancement in improving bilateral ties, ushering in a new era of cooperation.

Key agreements from the summit include a new Strategic Partnership to address common geopolitical threats, a Security and Defence Partnership that allows the UK to participate in the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) fund, and reciprocal access to fishing waters until 2038. Energy cooperation is also set to be extended on a continuous basis. Both sides affirmed their commitment to the 'full, timely, and faithful implementation' of the existing treaties governing their formal relationship: the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

Moving forward, the implementation of summit conclusions varies by issue. New legal agreements are anticipated for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards and the linkage of emission trading systems (ETS). In other areas, such as fish and energy cooperation, discussions are proceeding within the TCA's committee system. Negotiations on irregular migration are being conducted outside the treaty framework across ten dedicated tables.

At the political level, UK negotiations are led by the Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations, Nick Thomas Symonds, under the Prime Minister's oversight. Officials from the Cabinet Office and relevant Whitehall departments conduct the talks, coordinated by the European and International Economic Affairs unit. The UK's Europe Cabinet Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, authorizes formal negotiation mandates. A recent report from the House of Lords European Affairs Committee indicated that agreements on SPS, ETS linkage, or a youth experience scheme would likely undergo parliamentary scrutiny.