On Tuesday 18 March, the European affairs ministers of the EU Member States spent around an hour discussing the possibilities for closer ties between the EU and London in the run-up to the UK-EU Summit on 19 May.
The Member States supported the so-called ‘package’ approach ahead of the Summit, i.e. a global approach applying to any new pact between the EU and the UK and encompassing security, energy, fisheries, migration and youth mobility.
On Tuesday, however, security and defence were highlighted as the top priority for a enhanced partnership in the current geopolitical context, and given the war in Ukraine, according to one source.
For the European Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefčovič, responsible for relations with the United Kingdom, the 19 May Summit will be a “significant milestone in our relations”, he commented after the meeting. This will be the first “post-Brexit” summit.
While he called for a focus on the full and faithful implementation of existing agreements, there is “still potential to be exploited for a more strategic partnership”, particularly in the areas of security and resilience, the development of interpersonal ties and the protection of the planet.
Poland’s Minister for European Affairs, Adam Szłapka, also considered it “important” to maintain good relations with partners such as the United Kingdom “in dangerous times”. “Defence cooperation is essential for us”, he added.
Earlier in the day, the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, which had been meeting since the previous day at the European Parliament, completed its work by approving a joint recommendation.
“We share the same context” and the need for “security and stability on our continent”, said Co-Chair Sandro Gozi (Renew Europe, French).
Considering that the potential of existing agreements needs to be exploited to the full, the meeting laid the foundations for “mutual trust to strengthen our partnership”.
The British Co-Chair, Marsha de Cordova, noted a “very positive” dynamic and a complete consensus on security and support for Ukraine. There was also consensus on the new opportunities to be created for young people.
Among other things, the recommendation stresses that “it is of the utmost importance to forge and strengthen reliable and mutually beneficial partnerships, given growing geopolitical instability and security risks”.
It recognises that the UK and the EU are major trading partners and that the UK’s exit from the EU has had impacts on trade and economic ties, with a disproportionate impact on SMEs. It stresses the need to reduce barriers to trade between the UK and the EU, especially for SMEs, and calls on the parties to progress their bilateral trade relations and exploit the full potential of the TCA.
The text also underscores the value of concluding a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement and of providing a signal, before or at the Summit, that a fair agreement on fisheries will be reached, building on current agreements.
Cooperation on climate and energy policies is also addressed, but migration does not feature in the text.
Link to the joint recommendation: https://aeur.eu/f/fzw (Original version in Solenn Paulic)