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EU and UK make agreements on defense, fishing, and trade

by AI | 23.May 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The EU and the United Kingdom made agreements on defense, fishing, and trade on Monday during the first summit since Brexit. This is the result of discussions between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President António Costa.

António Costa. (Photo: Boris Grdanoski/AP/dpa +++ dpa image service +++)

LONDON (ANP/RTR) – The EU and the UK have pledged that British defense companies can claim a share of the 150 billion euros that the European Commission will lend to member states for the production and purchase of defense equipment. To do this, they must collaborate with an EU member state.

Which companies are involved and how this will happen needs to be further elaborated later. The pledge should primarily be seen as a first step, both sides emphasize.

Furthermore, a Partnership for Security and Defense has been established, which includes the two parties meeting every six months to exchange information. The EU’s foreign chief Kaja Kallas can also invite the UK to important discussions regarding defense and vice versa.

It has already leaked that the UK and the EU grant each other full access to each other’s waters until June 2038, an agreement that would expire in 2026. In return, the EU has made a commitment to relax food and goods standards, an EU source said.

In broad terms, it has also been agreed that it will become easier for young people to travel between the EU and the UK. Concrete agreements, such as whether the UK will participate in the Erasmus program for students, have not yet been made. The topic is sensitive, as the free movement of people was a major issue in the discussions leading up to Brexit.

Additionally, there will be faster passage for Britons at some EU airports. It has also been agreed to cooperate more on combating illegal migration, although there are not yet any concrete proposals for this.

In particular, Nigel Farage, from the far-right Reform UK party and a Brexit advocate, is critical of the summit. He calls agreements on the free movement of trade and people “betrayal” of the outcome of the Brexit referendum.

(May 19, 2025)