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Irish Examiner
27-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
How the UK-EU deal turns the page on Brexit — and what happens next
At their first bilateral summit since Brexit, UK and EU leaders set out a range of areas where they will seek to forge closer ties. European Council president António Costa, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British prime minister Keir Starmer hailed the agreement as a historic landmark deal that opens a new chapter in the EU-UK relationship. But it is only the beginning of — potentially long — negotiations to thrash out the details of closer cooperation in areas like trade, youth mobility and energy. As the two parties sit down at the negotiating table, they will, for the first time since Brexit, agree on how to make trade and cooperation easier. For example, one anticipated agreement will align UK food safety and animal health standards with those of the EU, thereby removing the need for most border checks and ease the flow of agriculture and food products between the two parties. And the expected youth mobility scheme will allow young people to travel, work and study in the EU and the UK for a limited period of time. The looming negotiations will be relatively narrow in scope. The Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement still provide the basis for the EU-UK relationship. The UK is not compromising on its red lines of not joining the single market, the customs union or allowing free movement of people. From left, European Council president Antonio Costa, British prime minister Keir Starmer and president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during a press conference at the end of the UK-EU summit. The negotiations will consequently not fundamentally alter the current relationship. While the impact of the agreements may be significant for specific sectors, the overall economic impact is expected to be relatively modest. This is not to say the upcoming negotiations will be easy or void of controversies. Over the next months, negotiators will have to agree on quotas, time limits, exceptions and financial contributions. Compromises and trade-offs will have to be found. Domestic resistance There will be domestic resistance on both sides. Concerns have already emerged that France might oppose the participation of British defence companies in EU defence procurement programmes. And in the UK, critics argue the decision to dynamically align UK rules and standards with those of the EU in certain sectors will make the country a rule-taker once again. But the answer to the question on many people's minds: 'Will this bring us back to all those years of difficult and protracted Brexit negotiations?' is no — this time around, things are different. In comparison with the Brexit negotiations, these negotiations should be far easier and swifter. They are less consequential and backed by strong political will from both sides. Recent polling indicates both Britons and EU citizens favour a closer relationship between the UK and the EU. The agreement reached at the summit is seen as the first concrete manifestation of Starmer's long sought-after reset of the relationship. The Brexit negotiations focused on establishing less cooperation compared with when the UK was a member of the EU. It was a question of addressing increasing barriers to trade and cooperation — something many perceived as a lose-lose situation. The upcoming negotiations, on the other hand, are seen to lead towards a win-win reset of relations. The parties enter the negotiations with a mindset of finding solutions that increase trade and facilitate cooperation. The UK is now negotiating as an independent, sovereign country. During the Brexit negotiations, the UK was an EU member (or a closely aligned former member in the case of the negotiations of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement). It was thus important for the EU to make the benefits of membership clear and to discourage other members from leaving. As a result, it drove a hard bargain and the UK had limited influence on the negotiations. However, unlike the UK — where Brexit has never fully disappeared from the political debate — the EU moved on quickly after Brexit. In Brussels, many now consider the UK an independent but like-minded strategic partner. This is seen not least in the area of security, where the two parties agreed on a security and defence partnership. They set out a framework for closer cooperation in areas of joint interest, such as sanctions, information sharing and cybersecurity, and allowing them to better respond to shared global challenges and uncertainties. Zooming out, the geopolitical picture has changed dramatically since the Brexit negotiations. With the war in Ukraine and the resulting instability in Europe, combined with the shifting priorities of US foreign policy, there is now an even greater need for EU-UK cooperation. The Conversation
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leaked: Starmer's Brexit reset deal in full
The freshly minted deal struck in the early hours of Monday is still being kept under lock and key. It contains details of how Sir Keir Starmer has surrendered access to Britain's fishing waters for 12 years and agreed to rejoin the EU's Erasmus student exchange scheme. But there are also sizeable wins allowing the Home Office access to EU fingerprint, DNA and criminal records databases to help fight crime. In a world first, The Telegraph can publish the entire contents of the deal for you to read. In view of the United Kingdom - European Union summit of 19 May 2025, the European Commission and the United Kingdom explored areas with the potential to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the European Union and the United Kingdom. This Common Understanding between the European Commission and the United Kingdom sets out the conclusions of those exploratory talks. We will proceed swiftly on the undertakings set out in this document, in accordance with our respective procedures and legal frameworks. We will respect each other's decision-making autonomy. In order to strengthen the bilateral relationship, we stress the pivotal importance of the two main agreements that underpin our relationship: the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. We reaffirm our commitment to their full, timely, and faithful implementation. We note the political agreements leading to full reciprocal access to waters to fish until 30 June 2038 and extending energy cooperation on a continuous basis. Security and defence The European Commission and the United Kingdom share the view that it is in the mutual interest of the EU and the United Kingdom to strengthen their cooperation on security and defence. The conclusion of the Security and Defence Partnership reflects this ambition. The Partnership represents a framework for dialogue and cooperation on security and defence. It will help the EU and the United Kingdom boost cooperation in areas such as: supporting Ukraine; security and defence initiatives, including on defence industry; mobility of military materiel and personnel; space security; regular high-level dialogues and strategic consultations; peacebuilding and crisis management; cyber issues; countering hybrid threats and resilience of critical infrastructure. In view of the Security and Defence Partnership, the United Kingdom and the European Commission should swiftly explore any possibilities for mutually beneficial enhanced cooperation created by the SAFE instrument, once adopted, in accordance with their respective legal frameworks. Cooperation on maritime security and safety The European Commission and the United Kingdom will seek to enhance cooperation in the following areas relating to maritime security: ship and port facility security (in particular related to the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code), maritime cyber security, security aspects of maritime autonomous surface ships, International Maritime Organization maritime security initiatives and other relevant maritime security related topics. The United Kingdom and the European Commission will endeavour to deepen their cooperation in the area of maritime safety in relation to accident reporting, including mutual sharing of accident investigation reports. In addition, cooperation in the context of the International Maritime Organization should be intensified. Development and disaster cooperation The European Commission and the United Kingdom will establish a regular dialogue in the area of development cooperation. The United Kingdom and the European Commission will seek to enhance cooperation in the field of international disaster and humanitarian response. Health Security The European Commission and the United Kingdom will explore the potential to enable exchange and cooperation on health security, including the detection of, preparedness for, and response to emerging health threats, to prevent and mitigate against future pandemics and health crises, including within the framework of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement health security provisions to maximise cooperation on health security. Health security, biological and chemical security should be part of regular exchanges at all levels, in appropriate fora, with a view to protecting public health. The United Kingdom and the European Commission share the view that it is in the mutual interest to deepen our people-to-people ties, particularly for the younger generation. Therefore, the European Commission and the United Kingdom should work towards a balanced youth experience scheme on terms to be mutually agreed. The scheme should facilitate the participation of young people from the European Union and the United Kingdom in various activities, such as work, studies, au-pairing, volunteering, or simply travelling, for a limited period of time. It should provide a dedicated visa path and ensure that the overall number of participants is acceptable to both sides. Furthermore, the United Kingdom and the European Commission should work towards the association of the United Kingdom to the European Union Erasmus+ programme. The specific terms of this association, including mutually agreed financial terms, should be determined as part of that process in order to ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions of and benefits to the United Kingdom. The association should be in accordance with the European Union Multiannual Financial Framework and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The European Commission and the United Kingdom recognise the value of travel and cultural and artistic exchanges, including the activities of touring artists. They will continue their efforts to support travel and cultural exchange. The United Kingdom and the European Commission will continue their exchanges on smooth border management for the benefit of their citizens, including the potential use of eGates where appropriate. They note that European Union citizens can use eGates in the United Kingdom and that there will be no legal barriers to eGate use for British Nationals traveling to and from European Union Member States after the introduction of the European Union Entry/Exit System. The European Commission and the United Kingdom share the view that it is in their interest to strengthen their economic relations and generate prosperity as follows: Energy cooperation Exploring the participation of the United Kingdom in the European Union's internal electricity market The United Kingdom and the European Commission share the view that close cooperation on electricity is in the interest of both the European Union and the United Kingdom. The European Commission and the United Kingdom should explore in detail the necessaryparameters for the United Kingdom's possible participation in the European Union's internal electricity market, including participation in the European Union's trading platforms in all timeframes. Meanwhile, the current electricity trading arrangements will continue to apply. Regarding its territorial scope, any agreement should be appropriately articulated with the provisions of the Windsor Framework. Any agreement should be based on a balance of rights and obligations and ensure a level playing field. In this context, it should define the relationship between the United Kingdom and European Union rules on the electricity market, as well as on State aid, the promotion of renewables and the protection of the environment, in so far as they relate to the electricity sector. Accordingly, any agreement should include dynamic alignment with European Union rules where relevant, giving due regard to the United Kingdom's constitutional and parliamentary procedures and respect the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union within an arbitration-based dispute resolution mechanism, and an appropriate United Kingdom contribution to decision-shaping. New technologies The United Kingdom and the European Commission welcome continued technical regulatory exchanges on new energy technologies such as hydrogen, carbon capture, utilisation and storage and biomethane. Working towards a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area The European Commission and the United Kingdom share the view that a functioning sanitary and phytosanitary area would address many of the issues raised in respect of the movement of agri-food products. The United Kingdom and the European Commission should work towards establishing a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area by way of a European Union-United Kingdom Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement (hereafter 'SPS Agreement'). Regarding its territorial scope, the SPS Agreement should cover the European Union and the United Kingdom in respect of Great Britain. This would result in the vast majority of movements of animals, animal products, plants, and plant products between Great Britain and the European Union being undertaken without the certificates or controls that are currently required by the rules within the scope of the SPS Agreement for such movements. These same benefits would be extended to the movements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, through the interplay of the Windsor Framework and the SPS Agreement, so long as the SPS Agreement is fully implemented. The continued application of the Windsor Framework would provide for Northern Ireland maintaining its privileged unique dual access to both the European Union Single Market and the United Kingdom internal market. In terms of its material scope, the SPS Agreement should cover sanitary, phytosanitary, food safety and general consumer protection rules applicable to the production, distribution and consumption of agrifood products, the regulation of live animals and pesticides, the rules on organics as well as marketing standards applicable to certain sectors or products. Within the scope defined above, the SPS Agreement should ensure the application of the same rules at all times by providing for timely dynamic alignment of the rules applicable to and in the United Kingdom acting in respect of Great Britain with all the relevant European Union rules, giving due regard to the United Kingdom's constitutional and parliamentary procedures; and where necessary to ensure the European Union's level of food, sanitary, and phytosanitary safety, through the immediate application of the relevant European Union rules. The United Kingdom should be able to take targeted action to protect its biosecurity and public health, in the same way as Member States under European Union law. In addition, the SPS Agreement should include a short list of limited exceptions to dynamic alignment. An exception could only be agreed if: (i) it does not lead to lower standards as compared to European Union rules, (ii) it does not negatively affect European Union animals and goods being placed on the market in the United Kingdom in respect of Great Britain, and (iii) it respects the principle that only animals and goods compliant with European Union rules move into the European Union. The SPS Agreement should be subject to a dispute resolution mechanism with an independent arbitration panel that ensures the Court of Justice of the European Union is the ultimate authority for all questions of European Union law. To ensure that it can put forward its view, the United Kingdom should be involved at an early stage and contribute appropriately for a country that is not a member of the European Union to the decision-shaping process of European Union legal acts in the fields covered by the obligation to dynamically align. The European Commission should consult the Government of the United Kingdom at an early stage of policy-making. These rights would not extend to participation in the work of the Council or its preparatory bodies. The United Kingdom should have appropriate access to relevant European Union agencies, systems and databases in the areas covered by the SPS Agreement. The SPS Agreement should provide for an appropriate financial contribution from the United Kingdom to support the relevant costs associated with the European Union's work in this policy area. The SPS Agreement should be subject to a joint governance mechanism. Working towards linking Emission Trading Systems of the European Union and the United Kingdom The European Commission and the United Kingdom share the view that a functioning link between carbon markets would address many of the issues raised in respect of trade and a level playing field and would give effect to Article 392(6) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. This link should not constrain the European Union and the United Kingdom from pursuing higher environmental ambition, consistent with their international obligations. Therefore, the United Kingdom and the European Commission should work towards establishing a link between carbon markets by way of a European Union-United Kingdom agreement linking the United Kingdom Emission Trading Scheme (UK ETS) and the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS). Regarding its territorial scope, this agreement should be appropriately articulated with the provisions of the Windsor Framework. The agreement to link the UK ETS and EU ETS should create the conditions for goods originating in our jurisdictions to benefit from mutual exemptions from the respective European Union and United Kingdom Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms subject to compliance with the relevant provisions of European Union and United Kingdom legislation. In terms of material scope, the agreement should cover all aspects of the functioning of an ETS link. The sectors falling in the scope of the ETS linking agreement should be clearly defined to avoid risks of carbon leakage and competitive distortions. Among others, this scope should include the sectors of electricity generation, industrial heat generation (excluding the individual heating of houses), industry, domestic and international maritime transport and domestic and international aviation. The agreement should provide for a procedure to further expand the list of sectors to be covered by the linking agreement. Within that scope, the agreement should ensure the dynamic alignment of the United Kingdom with the relevant European Union rules underpinning the functioning of the ETS link, giving due regard to the United Kingdom's constitutional and parliamentary procedures. The United Kingdom cap and the United Kingdom reduction pathway will be guided by the United Kingdom's Climate Change Act obligations and Nationally Determined Contributions. They should be at least as ambitious as the European Union cap and the European Union reduction pathway. The agreement should provide for an appropriate financial contribution from the United Kingdom to support the relevant costs associated with the European Union's work in this policy area. The agreement should be subject to a dispute resolution mechanism with an independent arbitration panel that ensures the Court of Justice of the European Union is the ultimate authority for all questions of European Union law. To ensure that it can put forward its view, the United Kingdom should be involved at an early stage and contribute appropriately for a country that is not a member of the European Union to the decision-shaping process of European Union legal acts in the fields covered by the obligation to dynamically align. The European Commission should consult the United Kingdom at an early stage of policy-making. These rights would not extend to participation in the work of the Council or its preparatory bodies. The agreement should be subject to a joint governance mechanism. Provision of services through entry and temporary stay of natural persons for business purposes The United Kingdom and the European Commission will set up dedicated dialogues on the implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, as regards entry and temporary stay of natural persons for business purposes, including the sponsorship scheme, and the recognition of professional qualifications. Competition cooperation The European Commission and the United Kingdom recognise the mutual benefit of cooperation in competition enforcement. In this context and in implementing the level playing field provisions of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the European Commission and the United Kingdom welcome the successful conclusion of negotiations for a competition cooperation agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom. Reinforced law enforcement and judicial cooperation in criminal matters The United Kingdom and the European Commission recognise the importance of ongoing law enforcement and judicial cooperation in criminal matters between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The European Commission and the United Kingdom believe that there is scope for reinforcing cooperation through quicker, better and deeper implementation of Part Three of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and by fully exploiting and building on its potential. To improve this cooperation, the European Commission and the United Kingdom should intensify technical work in the Specialised Committee on Law Enforcement and Judicial Cooperation with the aim to further streamline the cooperation on mutual legal assistance. The European Commission and the United Kingdom will also explore opportunities to enhance the timeliness, efficiency and effectiveness of the provisions of Title VII of Part Three of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The United Kingdom and the European Commission will take the necessary steps to ensure that the pending arrangements underpinning the cooperation between the United Kingdom and Europol under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement are finalised swiftly. The European Commission and the United Kingdom will also encourage Europol and the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency, and their other competent law enforcement authorities, to further develop their cooperation including in the framework of analysis projects and operational action plans within the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats. The United Kingdom and the European Commission will also consider how to increase operational cooperation between the United Kingdom and Europol under the applicable rules, for instance on mutually beneficial exchange of information related to terrorism and other serious crimes. The European Commission and the United Kingdom will explore ways to reinforce mutual and reciprocal exchanges of data on fingerprints, DNA, and criminal records of third country nationals, in the light of technical developments; and acknowledge the requirement in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to set up automated searching of vehicle registration data. They will also explore extending the exchange of data to facial images for the prevention, detection and investigation of criminal offences. The United Kingdom and the European Commission will examine the difficulties for law enforcement and judicial authorities in one jurisdiction to obtain data from electronic communication and other relevant service providers offering services in the other jurisdiction, and potential solutions. Judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters The European Commission and the United Kingdom note the importance of the positive judicial cooperation in civil and commercial law, including family matters. In this context, they welcome that the Hague Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters will enter into force for the United Kingdom on 1 July 2025. Cooperation in relation to drugs risks and threats The United Kingdom and the European Commission agree that the reciprocal exchange of information between the European Union Drugs Agency and the United Kingdom relevant authorities on drugs risks and threats would be beneficial for fulfilling their respective tasks. Therefore, they suggest that the European Union Drugs Agency and the relevant United Kingdom authorities could conclude a working arrangement to that end. The European Commission and the United Kingdom underline their commitment to deepen co-operation on challenges posed by irregular migration – including action to tackle people smuggling and to deepen information sharing to control and manage migration at our respective external borders – while remaining committed to ensuring international protection for those who need it. Upstream Migration The United Kingdom and the European Commission will deepen cooperation on the external dimension of migration across key geographies, as part of a whole of route approach. They recognise the benefit of increased mutual sharing of information, country expertise and analysis enabling better coordination. They will also work more closely in multilateral fora, processes and dialogues, including the European Union's Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, and through exploring United Kingdom participation in the Khartoum and Rabat Processes. Working together on practical solutions and returns The European Commission and the United Kingdom should work together on practical and innovative approaches to reduce irregular migration. This includes work to share best practices and operational information on key issues like returns to third countries, and to explore possible deterrence mechanisms and other innovative solutions, in line with national, European Union and international law. This would be underpinned by closer cooperation across key networks such as the European Migration Network and agencies, including the European Union Agency for Asylum and Frontex, and respective United Kingdom authorities. They should work together to prevent irregular Channel crossings. Bolstering United Kingdom and European Union border security including through law enforcement cooperation The United Kingdom and the European Commission should bolster their operational and strategic cooperation to tackle the challenges posed by irregular migration along key routes and at external borders, including through their agencies, law enforcement and judicial cooperation, and information sharing capabilities. This includes through enhanced cooperation with Europol and its European Migrant Smuggling Centre. Addressing challenges and abuses of visa policy In addition to these enhanced efforts, the European Commission and the United Kingdom will explore closer cooperation to address challenges related to visa policy such as exchanging analysis on visa abuse by third country nationals. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Don't believe Starmer. He is about to betray Brexit
Is arch Remainer Sir Keir Starmer really the right person to be negotiating new terms with the EU? After his humiliation in Albania this week, is the Prime Minister really the right person to be negotiating anything? Brussels bigwigs will descend on Lancaster House in London on Monday for what is already being dubbed a Brexit 'surrender summit'. Labour insists it's to 'reset' the UK's relationship with the EU because the Withdrawal Agreement 'isn't working', but sceptics sniff the scent of a sell-out. And who can blame them? We keep on hearing a great deal about what the EU wants from us – access to our fishing waters, a possible youth mobility scheme – but no one can quite work out what Britain is set to get out of this jamboree, beyond unnecessarily conceding yet more to Brussels. Eurocrats are reported to be already demanding eleventh hour concessions on everything from food standards and fishing rights to access to the UK's universities. The bloc is expected to insist that Britain rejoins its Erasmus student exchange programme, as well as allowing young Europeans to work, travel or study here. Five minutes ago Keir Starmer was making his controversial warning about our 'island of strangers'. Only last September, he was insisting that the Government had 'no plans for a youth mobility scheme'. Britain is also poised to sign a new defence and security pact, come to an agreement on energy and potentially 'dynamically align' on trade. According to EU sources, Brussels would have accepted a looser 'mutual recognition' arrangement with Britain, but two-tier Keir, ever the Europhile, is playing it strictly by the EU rulebook. This presents a number of problems. While the Government claims it will not cross its red lines of rejoining the single market and customs union, this sort of New Zealand-style capitulation represents the worst of both worlds, with the UK once again becoming a EU rule taker. And this would be precisely the opposite of what 17.4 million people voted for in that 'once in a lifetime' referendum on June 23, 2016. Labour fails to realise that the ballot was the only 'reset' voters wanted with Brussels. As far as I can tell, no one has voted for a second one, despite the best efforts of former Remainer-in-chief Starmer and his acolytes. Let's take the higher education proposals, for starters. British students are already missing out on places at top universities to overseas students paying much higher tuition fees. A series of investigations has revealed that cash-strapped vice-chancellors have been offering courses to foreigners with lower grades than their UK counterparts – simply because they are paying more for the privilege. This problem will only get worse if we rejoin Erasmus and/or a youth-free movement scheme. In true EU form, there is even talk that while the youth mobility programme would allow European students to study across the Continent, British ones might be confined to just one European country. The EU wants us to reduce trade barriers on food and agricultural products and negotiate away our hard-fought-for fishing rights amid talk of burdensome red tape at the border, with endless compulsory checks on products like meat and cheese resulting in lorries waiting for hours on end while food goes off. But whose fault is that? Brussels has put up these blocks, not Britain. Perhaps that's why UK exports to the EU are down roughly 18 per cent since 2019, while imports have reportedly seen a smaller decrease. How quickly Starmer and his gang forget that, before Rachel Reeves's disastrous October Budget, the IMF judged Britain's economy to have grown faster than France, Germany and indeed the whole eurozone since the end of 2020. Contrary to the claims of Project Fear, has anyone had any problems buying French brie, German sausage or Italian salami at the supermarket? Of course not. I sincerely hope that the UK will stick to its demand that we end the ridiculous Animal Health Certificates to take pets abroad – which need to be signed by a vet, and can only be issued one trip at a time. And all EU nations install Brit-friendly e-gates in their airports in return for any concessions made on our side. On security and defence, Starmer appears poised to sign a pact that would reattach UK policy to that of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy. According to defence experts, this was a plan drafted under the Conservatives in 2017 but quietly dropped by Boris Johnson two years later. It is expected that this agreement will form part of a wider pact that would include energy and visas, and would be rolled into the existing EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. But as critics have pointed out, this will make it very difficult to change. Again, Labour insists it will only sign a deal with the EU if it is 'in the nation's interests' – but the Chagos surrender and net zero zealotry indicate this Government doesn't always fully grasp what's best for Britain. Then consider who we have got leading the negotiations. Alongside Starmer is fellow Remainer, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Paymaster General and minister for EU Relations. Although a well-respected and well-meaning minister, Thomas-Symonds proclaimed his support for a second referendum instead of a no-deal divorce in 2019, when he described another Brexit vote as a 'preferable outcome'. He has joked to friends that he has been seeing more of EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič than his wife since being tasked with negotiating the 'reset'. Both men apparently share a love of wine and whisky. As former home secretary, Thomas-Symonds is understood to be keen to work with the EU to tackle illegal migration, pointing out that Brexit has resulted in us removing key areas of co-operation, like joint police intelligence sharing. Yet many might question the point of 'mutual co-operation' when the £700 million we have allocated for the French to stop Channel people smugglers since 2014 has only resulted in record numbers of arrivals by dinghy. Speaking of which, one wonders how David Lammy's chairing of the summit will go after a taxi driver accused the Foreign Secretary of yelling 'F---ing French' during an alleged row over a fare for a journey between Italy and France. The meeting next week comes amid talk that the Chagos 'deal' has been put on hold thanks to threats of a 'toxic backlash' by Labour MPs – and follows concerns about the UK's newly inked trade deals with India and America. The former appears to undercut British workers while the latter has resulted in us having to pay tariffs five times as high as the US. Meanwhile, Starmer has returned from Tirana humiliated, having failed to agree an asylum hubs scheme with Albania's trainer-wearing PM, Edi Rama. I fear this EU 'reset' doesn't just bear all the hallmarks of a done deal – but another dud one. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EU and UK to hold annual summits, draft statement shows
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union and United Kingdom will agree to hold annual summits to take stock of their bilateral relationship, according to a draft statement prepared for an upcoming summit in London seen by Reuters. The EU and Britain are set to hold a summit in London on May 19, and the draft is the latest iteration of a joint text that leaders are set to agree at the gathering. "We agreed that a stable foundation for our relationship is vital, and, in this context, we reaffirmed our commitment to the full, timely and faithful implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement," according to the draft, referring to texts related to Brexit. "We agreed to hold annual UK-EU summits to take stock of the bilateral relationship," said the text, dated May 6 and shared with EU delegations. The draft outlines the two sides' view on global priorities, including continued support for Ukraine and an agreement to remain ready to exert pressure on Russia. The EU and UK also said they recognised the shared challenge of irregular migration and that there is a need to address it with third countries. "We also recognised the need to do more to secure our respective external borders, while remaining committed to ensuring international protection for those who need it," the draft said. The draft noted that "we recognised the importance of transatlantic cooperation in addressing global challenges, fostering economic growth, and ensuring peace and security." (Reporting by Lili Bayer, editing by GV De Clercq)
Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
EU and UK to hold annual summits, draft statement shows
FILE PHOTO: Puzzle with printed EU and UK flags is seen in this illustration taken November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration BRUSSELS - The European Union and United Kingdom will agree to hold annual summits to take stock of their bilateral relationship, according to a draft statement prepared for an upcoming summit in London seen by Reuters. The EU and Britain are set to hold a summit in London on May 19, and the draft is the latest iteration of a joint text that leaders are set to agree at the gathering. "We agreed that a stable foundation for our relationship is vital, and, in this context, we reaffirmed our commitment to the full, timely and faithful implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement," according to the draft, referring to texts related to Brexit. "We agreed to hold annual UK-EU summits to take stock of the bilateral relationship," said the text, dated May 6 and shared with EU delegations. The draft outlines the two sides' view on global priorities, including continued support for Ukraine and an agreement to remain ready to exert pressure on Russia. The EU and UK also said they recognised the shared challenge of irregular migration and that there is a need to address it with third countries. "We also recognised the need to do more to secure our respective external borders, while remaining committed to ensuring international protection for those who need it," the draft said. The draft noted that "we recognised the importance of transatlantic cooperation in addressing global challenges, fostering economic growth, and ensuring peace and security." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
