EU and UK chase deal amid wrangling over closer ties
European Council President António Costa, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas, will meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday to iron out the details of a long-anticipated defence and security pact between the two parties, and potentially discuss future resetting of post-Brexit relations.
Starmer previously made it clear that a security pact with the EU is one of the Labour government's priorities, even setting out the ambition in the party's electoral manifesto. The EU since agreed closer collaboration on defence was needed, given the current geopolitical situation.
This would open the door for the UK to negotiate access for UK companies to joint defence projects under the EU's Security Action For Europe (SAFE) worth .€150 billion.
However a second set of issues are also set to be wrangled at the summit in Lancaster House. The UK wants to see relief from checks and bureaucracy around the sale of food, animal and other agricultural products, known as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) goods. In return Britain would need to follow EU regulations overseen by the European Court of Justice. The EU also wants to see a youth mobility scheme allow some 18 to 30-year-olds to work and study in the UK.
Another sticking point concerns fishing, where the EU is seeking extension of existing access terms for EU fishing fleets in return for relief from food checks.
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