Space Travel News
TRADE WARS
Main points of the agreement between the EU and the UK
Main points of the agreement between the EU and the UK
By Anne-Laure MONDESERT
London (AFP) May 19, 2025

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Monday signed an agreement in London with the heads of the European Union marking a new chapter in UK-EU relations since Brexit on 31 January 2020.

Here are the main points:

- Security and defence -

The two sides have agreed to a security and defence partnership at a time when Europe is rearming in the face of the threat from Russia and amid uncertainty about the policies of US President Donald Trump.

The pact will allow British representatives to attend certain EU ministerial meetings and take part in European military exercises and missions.

It also aims to bring the UK defence industry more closely into European efforts to build a domestic industrial base.

It paves the way for British firms to tap into a 150-billion-euro EU fund, currently under negotiation among the 27 member states. However, an additional agreement will be needed, along with a financial contribution from London.

The UK stands to benefit significantly from such a deal, with companies like BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce expected to gain.

- Burgers and pets -

The EU and the UK have agreed to reduce checks on food and plant products in future trade -- a key demand from London.

"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," according to the text of the agreement.

The EU remains by far the UK's leading trading partner. But UK exports to the continent have fallen by 21 percent since Brexit, while imports are down seven percent.

After a long absence, the UK will be able to sell British burgers, shellfish, sausages and other products in the EU, Starmer said. Britons will also be able to travel more easily with their pets, he added.

In return, the UK has committed to dynamic alignment -- with the ability to adapt over time -- with EU sanitary and phytosanitary rules, with some possible exceptions.

In the event of a dispute, an independent resolution mechanism will be set up, but the European Court of Justice will remain the final authority.

Other economic measures agreed include "closer cooperation" on emissions quotas, allowing UK companies to avoid the EU's carbon border tax.

According to Downing Street, these measures should add "nearly GBP 9 billion (10.7 billion euros) to the British economy by 2040".

- Fisheries -

The issue was particularly important to France, which made it a prerequisite for any broader agreement between London and Brussels.

The UK has agreed to extend until June 2038 an existing deal allowing European vessels to fish in British waters and vice versa. The current agreement was due to expire in 2026.

The extension will ensure stability and certainty for fishing crews without increasing the quantity of fish EU vessels can catch in British waters, Downing Street said.

In Scotland, criticism was swift. The fishing sector "seems to have been abandoned" by London, Scottish First Minister John Swinney said, while the Scottish Fishermen's Federation described the deal as a "horror film".

French minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher, who oversees fisheries, welcomed the agreement, saying it "will provide economic and political visibility for French fishing".

- Youth mobility -

Brussels had pushed for a mobility programme allowing young Europeans to study and work temporarily in the UK, and vice versa. But London remains wary of any arrangement resembling free movement that could boost immigration figures.

No firm commitment was made on Monday and the agreement text does not use the word "mobility". The two sides simply expressed willingness to "work on a balanced programme" enabling young people to work, study, volunteer or travel in the UK and EU for a limited time under yet-to-be-determined conditions.

London and Brussels also discussed the possibility of the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ student exchange programme.

The number of EU students in the UK has halved since Brexit, falling from around 148,000 in 2019-2020 to 75,500 in 2023-2024.

- Border crossings -

To facilitate border crossings, the two sides pledged to "continue discussions" so that UK nationals could make greater use of "eGates" -- automated passport control gates.

This should help British holidaymakers avoid the "dreaded queues" at EU airports, according to Downing Street.

Related Links
Global Trade News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TRADE WARS
Post-Brexit UK willing to 'align' with EU in some areas: minister
London (AFP) May 18, 2025
A UK minister said on Sunday that the government could be willing to align with EU rules in some areas as opposition parties accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of "surrender", ahead of landmark talks. Starmer is set to sign a new deal with the European Union this week as he hosts the first post-Brexit EU-UK summit on Monday. The London gathering with EU chiefs is aimed at agreeing steps towards a closer relationship between Britain and the 27-country bloc that it left five years ago after an ac ... read more

TRADE WARS
TRADE WARS
What Martian Craters Reveal About Subsurface Composition

Europa Clipper Conducts Critical Mars Flyby for Instrument Calibration

Martian Atmosphere Enables Advanced In-Situ Thermoelectric Power Generation

Martian Seismic Data Suggests Potential Liquid Water Reserves at Depth

TRADE WARS
Glass Beads Provide Insight into Moon's Mysterious Interior

Oracle-M Completes Successful Hot Fire Test for Cislunar Space Mission

ispace Achieves Key Mission 2 Milestone with Successful Lunar Orbit Entry

Moon becomes little more out of reach for NASA's VIPER rover

TRADE WARS
Juno reveals subsurface secrets of Jupiter and Io

Planetary Alignment Provides NASA Rare Opportunity to Study Uranus

On Jupiter, it's mushballs all the way down

20 years of Hubble data reveals evolving weather patterns on Uranus

TRADE WARS
Twin Star Systems May Hold Key to Planet Formation Insights

NASA Cleanroom Microbes Reveal Survival Strategies for Space and Biotech

Plato nears final camera installation for exoplanet hunt

NASA's Webb Lifts Veil on Common but Mysterious Type of Exoplanet

TRADE WARS
China completes testing of powerful reusable liquid rocket engine

SpaceX sends up more Starlink satellites

SpaceX launches another batch of Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit

EU faces heat over millions paid to Musk firms

TRADE WARS
China Establishes UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office at Wuhan University

Tiangong returns largest sample set yet for biological and materials science research

Space is a place to found a community not a colony

China's Shenzhou-19 astronauts return to Earth

TRADE WARS
Ancient Scottish meteorite strike rewrites timeline of life on land

New analysis upends belief that asteroid Vesta has planetary interior

Carbon reactions during impacts reveal why meteorites seem less shocked

NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Images Asteroid Donaldjohanson

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.