'I hope the British public see how practical it is,' EU Trade Commissioner says about EU-UK deal

Euronews

23-05-2025

The EU Trade Commissioner Maros Šefčovič says he hopes the British public have a pragmatic view of the recent EU-UK deal covering trade, defence and fishing.
The first ever EU-UK summit was 'an important step forward' in repairing relations between the two sides after almost of a decade of bitterness and mistrust following the referendum which saw the UK withdraw from the EU in 2020.
'I think we really made a very important step forward and we are opening the new chapter in EU-UK co-relations', Šefčovič told The Europe Conversation.
'We are eternal neighbours, we are the biggest trading partners', he said.
Despite the warm words and practical nature of the deal, reaction from pro-Brexit politicians and newspaper columnists was one of outrage, accusing the Labour government of 'surrender' to Brussels.
The deal opens up discussions for the UK to sign up to equal SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) standards, EU regulations relating to human, animal and plant life from risks like diseases and pests and carcinogens.
When complete, it means the farming and fishing industries will no longer have the burden of extensive paperwork required to the enter the EU marketplace similar to the arrangement before the UK left the Single Market.
The UK will adhere to EU standards - which the vast majority of production lines in the UK maintained since leaving the EU – but they will have full access to closest trade partners. Approximately 42% of UK trade goes to the EU.
The deal also includes provisions to eventually allow young citizens of the EU and UK limited travel visa-free.
In addition, UK travellers will soon be able to use E-Gates at EU airports meaning tourists won't have to wait in line to have their passports stamped.
A key element to this, was also a Security and Defence partnership to bolster European security given the geopolitical instability facing the continent.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she would reverse the deal if she comes into power after the next general election, due to take place sometime in 2029.
However, Šefčovič says he hopes the British public will appreciate the 'practical results and practical implementation of the agreements', he told Euronews.
'If you want to restore the bridge building among the young people, and between the EU and the UK if we want to make it easier for the farmers, for the fishers through the SPS agreement and if you want to make it even better for the people from Northern Ireland, I think these are all very important decisions,' he said.
Meanwhile, in relation to the ongoing negotiations with the US over trade tariffs, Šefčovič indicated it's unlikely he'll settle for an arrangement which involves a widespread tariff base, similar to what the UK recently agreed.
Goods coming from the UK will be subjected to a tariff baseline of 10%, but aluminium and steel tariffs of 25% have been removed as part of that deal.
EU member states have stated they would be against any similar settlement, noting the size and heft of the EU's Single Market as an equal competitor to the US market.
'A very clear message I got from our trade ministers was that they insist on having a balance deal with the US. So of course we are ready to negotiate with our American partners,' he said.
'We are pushing for a balanced deal.'
The US imposed 25% tariffs on EU cars, steel and aluminium and 20% on other goods last April. But then halved the 20% rate for a 90-day period to negotiate a new agreement.
A new YouGov survey has found that between 41% and 55% of respondents in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain think another world war is likely to occur within the next five to 10 years.
The vast majority expect that such a conflict would involve the use of nuclear weapons.
The research interviewed 7,095 people in the five European countries in the first two weeks of April.
If another world war did break out, the respondents expect that their nation would be involved, ranging from 66% in Italy to 89% in Great Britain.
Yet there is also a clear sense that European militaries are not prepared for a global conflict.
Only France believes that its armed forces could effectively defend the country in the event of World War III, at 44%.
The other four countries lack confidence in their armed forces' ability to defend their country, especially Germany, where only 16% have confidence and Italy, with 20%.
However, survey respondents were likely to take part militarily if another world war did break out.
Britain had the highest percentage of participants at 89%, while Italy had the lowest at 66%.
Russia tops the list as the biggest obstacle to peace in Europe, with up to 82% of Western Europeans seeing it as a major or moderate threat on the continent.
Islamic terrorism is the second biggest threat, with Germany being the European country most concerned about this issue at 78%.
As Donald Trump continues to make controversial foreign policy moves, more than half of the surveyed people in Spain, Germany and France see tensions between Europe and the US as a major or moderate threat to continental peace.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has made threats against Greenland, and caused confusion with his shifting stance on the war in Ukraine.
Greenland is home to about 40 of the 50 critical minerals that the US considers vital to its national security.
These minerals, which include uranium and graphite, are essential for manufacturing and global supply chains, although Greenland's resources remain largely unexplored.