On 19 May 2025, the European Union and the United Kingdom held the first EU-UK summit since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, as part of the UK Government’s pledge to reset relations with the EU, following the 2024 General Election. At the summit, the EU and the UK agreed to a new Strategic Partnership and agenda for cooperation – the Common Understanding, which outlines their commitments to improved cooperation in multiple policy areas. This Just the Facts outlines the context of the EU-UK reset and examines some of the key policy developments which emerged from the summit.
Background to the summit: the EU-UK reset
EU-UK relations weakened following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU in January 2020, in particular due to issues surrounding the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. The relationship improved slightly under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government with the agreement of the Windsor Framework, the UK’s decision to rejoin Horizon Europe, as well as the EU and the UK’s alignment on the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ahead of the 2024 UK General Election and against the backdrop of increasing geopolitical and economic instability, the Labour Party pledged in their General Election manifesto to ‘reset’ a number of the UK’s relationships, including with the EU. After the elections in July 2024, the Labour Government swiftly commenced a programme of measures aimed at strengthening the UK’s ties with Europe. Prime Minister Starmer began his premiership with a series of bilateral meetings and calls with key European partners, including Ireland and France. Shortly after the election, the UK hosted the European Political Community at Blenheim Palace on 18 July 2024.
Significantly, Starmer moved responsibility for Europe from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office back to the Cabinet Office, where it had sat prior to the referendum and appointed Nick Thomas-Symonds as Minister for European Union Relations to lead negotiations on the EU-UK reset. Since his appointment, Thomas-Symonds has had regular meetings and engagements with his EU counterpart, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, who co-chairs the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee with Thomas-Symonds. The most recent meeting of the Committee took place on 29 April 2025, during which the co-chairs discussed the importance of citizens’ rights, the implementation of the Windsor Framework, and the UK and the EU’s mutual commitment to the full delivery of the Withdrawal Agreement and the strengthening of EU-UK relations ahead of the EU-UK Summit in May 2025.
The EU-UK Joint Summit: May 2025
On 19 May 2025, EU and UK leaders met in London for the first EU-UK summit, against a backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine and widespread geopolitical turmoil. At the summit, the EU and UK reaffirmed their shared values and their commitment to working together to address peace and security in Europe. The summit focused on a renewed agenda for EU-UK relations and set out the next steps to enhance the relationship. Firstly, agreement was reached on a new Strategic Partnership, which builds on the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and sets out common areas of strategic interest and new structures for engagement between the EU and the UK at all levels. It includes annual summits to strengthen the EU-UK relationship and ensure the faithful implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which underpin any future cooperation. The EU and the UK will also continue with existing fisheries and energy arrangements established by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
The summit also resulted in the adoption of the Common Understanding; a ‘renewed agenda’ for EU-UK cooperation. It establishes a roadmap for the EU and the UK following the summit and sets out the various policy areas on which they will work together to achieve greater cooperation and agreement.
The Common Understanding was positively received by EU and UK leaders. President of the European Council, António Costa, noted that ‘this summit marks a new chapter in the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union’, and was welcomed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris. The Conservatives and Reform UK criticised the deal as a ‘surrender’ to the EU; however, Prime Minister Keir Starmer maintained that ‘it’s time to look forward’.
Alongside these commitments, EU and UK leaders agreed a new Security and Defence Partnership, which will “facilitate regular high-level dialogue and strategic consultations, joint initiatives, and may open the possibility for the UK to participate in specific EU defence initiatives.” Additionally, the UK Foreign and Defence Secretaries and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy committed to engage in foreign and security policy dialogues every six months.
Common Understanding: Key Developments
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement
One of the most significant aspects of the Common Understanding was the agreement to work towards establishing a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, otherwise known as an SPS Agreement. An SPS Agreement would allow most animals, animal products, plants, and plant products to move between the EU and Great Britain without the need for checks and certificates. If fully implemented, this would have positive knock-on effects on the movement of agri-food products between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which maintains unique dual access to the European Single Market (for goods) and the UK’s internal market, through the Windsor Framework. An SPS deal would alleviate some of the technical burdens on businesses and provide a greater choice for consumers. Both the EU and the UK are keen to move quickly to secure the deal, with EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič noting that, if successful, it could be implemented within a year; however, this could depend on whether the UK upholds its preexisting commitments on checks between goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Mobility
There are also two key developments in the Common Understanding relating to youth mobility. Firstly, the UK and the EU will work towards the UK’s association with the Erasmus+ Programme. It is expected that negotiations will move quickly, with the UK issuing a tendering notice for a supplier to implement the scheme from July 2026. The UK and the EU will also work towards negotiating a youth experience scheme (also known as the youth mobility scheme); this is separate from Erasmus+ and will enable young people from the UK and the EU to travel, live, work, study, or volunteer for a limited period of time. Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has said the scheme would be ‘good for the economy, good for growth, and good for business’; however, the scheme has been criticised by some UK opposition parties as a partial return to the freedom of movement.
The Common Understanding recognises the value of touring artists and cultural exchanges, which several representative bodies have welcomed, given the difficulties faced by the sector. Both parties have also agreed that EU citizens can use eGates at UK airports and that there will be no legal barriers for UK citizens to use the eGates in EU airports after the introduction of the European Union Entry Exit System in October 2025; however, the use of the eGates by UK passport holders will be decided by individual member states.
Emissions Trading Systems
The EU and the UK have also agreed to explore linking their emissions trading systems (ETS). An ETS is a ‘cap and trade’ carbon emissions trading scheme intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ensuring polluters monitor and report their emissions. The EU introduced its ETS in 2005; however, the free allowances granted under the scheme are now being phased out. Aligned with this, the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will apply from January 2026, which is a system that accounts for the cost of carbon emissions on certain goods imported into the EU.
Following its withdrawal from the EU, the UK introduced its own ETS in 2021 and plans to introduce a UK CBAM in 2027, both of which differ from the EU system. The EU ETS applies to electricity generation in Northern Ireland, which remains part of the UK ETS in other areas, unsurprisingly raising concerns as to which CBAM should apply in Northern Ireland. Linking the EU and UK ETSs will stop this divergence and will effectively put the EU and the UK in the same carbon market. It would also address the financial and administrative difficulties that would come with being part of two systems for businesses and consumers in Northern Ireland, as well as helping the EU and the UK meet their climate commitments.
It has recently been suggested that the EU and the UK will agree on a temporary deal in spring 2026, which will exempt the UK from the EU’s CBAM until an agreement on ETS linkage is reached. It is likely to be 2027 before a deal on linking the EU and UK ETSs is implemented.
Next steps
Emerging from the EU-UK Summit, the Strategic Partnership and Common Understanding highlight a wide range of areas in which the EU and the UK have committed to cooperate as part of the reset. The EU is in the process of agreeing mandates for its negotiating positions in a number of areas, including the SPS Agreement and the ETS linkage agreement, which have been sought in tandem. While the date for the next summit has not been announced, the UK and the EU negotiating teams will be keen to make progress in advance of this, given that these will be highly technical and complex discussions. Additionally, the review of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement will begin in May 2026, coinciding with Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which begins in July 2026. From the EU’s perspective, this is strictly a review of its implementation, rather than a renegotiation. The European Economic and Social Committee have said that the review, coupled with the overall reset, can be a significant step in deepening EU-UK relations. Furthermore, the inclusion and participation of civil society in this process will be crucial as the EU-UK relationship evolves.
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