The EU and the UK have announced a deal to “reset” their relationship at a summit in London between UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Here are the key points:
Defence and security pact
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Six-monthly foreign and security “policy dialogues” between the UK foreign secretary and the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, alongside regular invitations for the UK to join high-level meetings of the EU, including European Councils.
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An annual EU-UK dialogue on defence, and potential for the UK to participate in crisis management exercises under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy.
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Deeper co-operation and information exchanges on space, cyber security and the so-called “shadow fleet” used to breach sanctions by Russia, Iran and others.
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Personnel training exchanges through the EU and UK’s respective defence colleges.
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Agreement that, subject to the UK signing a third country agreement, the UK can participate in a €150bn loans-for-arms fund backed by the bloc’s shared budget.
Fisheries agreement
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A 12-year deal to guarantee access for EU boats to UK waters from July 1 2025 to June 30 2038.
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The agreement offers continued access for EU fishing boats to UK’s 6-12 mile coastal waters.
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Access will be based on the average tonnage caught between 2012-16 in each others 200-mile zone of Exclusive Economic Zone.
Veterinary agreement
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Agreement to work towards a deal that would mean the “vast majority” of agrifood exports to the EU happen without checks and certificates. The deal requires both sides to apply the “same rules”, meaning the UK would automatically follow EU rules on plant and animal products, referred to as “dynamic alignment”.
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The pact is covered by an independent arbitration mechanism to settle disputes, but the European Court of Justice remains the final arbiter of any points of EU law.
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The UK is to make an “appropriate financial contribution” to cover costs of implementing the deal.
Youth mobility, business mobility and touring artists
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The EU and the UK agree to “work towards” a youth experience scheme for 18 to 30-year-olds to travel and work more easily in each others’ countries.
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Scheme to be time-limited, have a dedicated visa path, and ensure that the overall number of participants is “acceptable to both sides”.
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Agreement to “work towards” the UK rejoining the EU’s Erasmus+ student exchange programme.
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The EU will “continue to support” touring artists working in the bloc, but the UK’s request for a special deal is not granted. Agreement to discuss easier business visas and mutual recognition of each others professional qualification regimes.
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EU says “no legal barriers” to UK citizens using e-gates at airport when the bloc’s entry/exit visa waiver scheme comes into force.
Energy trading and carbon border taxes
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EU commits to exploring UK participation in the EU’s internal energy market that was blocked by Brexit, with current energy trading arrangements continuing to apply in the meantime.
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The EU and UK agree to explore relinking their respective emissions trading schemes that were severed by Brexit. If this is done, the UK will be exempted from EU’s carbon border tax that comes into force on January 1 2026, a year before the UK’s own scheme a year later.
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EU will require “dynamic alignment” to EU rules as a condition of any relinking of energy markets. The UK will also make an unspecified financial contribution.
Security exchanges and border security
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A pledge to “swiftly” finalise arrangements for co-operation with Europol that were part of the original post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
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Agree to “mutually beneficial” information exchanges on terrorism and other serious crimes, and to “deepen co-operation” on people smuggling and other areas of irregular migration.
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The EU agrees to “explore ways” to deepen co-operation and speedier exchanges of information databases of DNA, fingerprints and vehicle registration data.
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Pledge to “share best practices” on how to manage returns of irregular migrants to third countries.
