Committee publication · Special Report · 21 May 2026 · HC 108
1st Special Report - From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership fit for the future: Government Response
From: Foreign Affairs Committee
Inquiry: The UK-EU reset: rebuilding a strategic partnership in uncertain times
Summary
This is the UK Government's formal response to the Foreign Affairs Committee's March 2026 report on building a UK-EU strategic partnership. The Government defends its 'reset' approach with the EU, detailing progress on fisheries, steel, defence, trade agreements, and youth mobility schemes. It accepts several Committee recommendations and provides positions on regulatory alignment, the Gibraltar treaty, and ongoing negotiations on food standards, emissions trading, and professional qualifications.
Key findings
- Government confirms UK-EU trade totalled £841.7bn in 2025 and cites the May 2025 Summit agreement as foundation for enhanced collaboration on safety, security and economic prosperity.
- Defends the 12-year fisheries extension as pragmatic national interest decision securing quota uplifts and reciprocal access; commits to regular parliamentary updates via existing Select Committee scrutiny mechanisms.
- Acknowledges failed Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence negotiations due to unreasonable EU financial demands but commits to continued bilateral defence cooperation and monitoring of EU defence initiatives.
- Confirms UK-EU ETS linking negotiations underway, aiming for conclusion by next Summit; notes EU has mitigated CBAM impact on UK electricity imports by recognising higher UK carbon price.
- Secured Erasmus+ association from January 2027; confirms Youth Experience Scheme negotiations ongoing with caps, time limits and visa requirements; prioritises mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
Recommendations
- Provide updated timetable for publication and ratification of UK-EU Gibraltar Agreement and allow Commons debate prior to ratification under Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
- Provide regular parliamentary updates on operation of 12-year fisheries deal through UK-EU Specialised Committee on Fisheries.
- Clarify EU's 'duly reflect' commitment on Category 17 steel tariffs; confirm whether UK sought more durable arrangement; update on engagement to avoid tariffs on other steel categories from summer 2026.
- Continue discussions with EU Member States on coordinated use of immobilised Russian Sovereign assets to support Ukraine.
- Continue seeking deal on Security Action for Europe defence cooperation if EU reconsiders financial demands; be clear with public on reasons for negotiation failure.
- Monitor other EU defence initiatives closely, including security component of proposed Competitiveness Fund, and report to Parliament on UK involvement options.
- Provide clarity on specific exemptions demanded regarding animal welfare, genomic techniques and pesticides in Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement negotiations.
- Provide examples of other UK/EU agreements with termination compensation clauses to contextualise SPS Agreement provisions.
- Clarify state of play on interim arrangement for British exports under EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism pending ETS linking agreement.
- Clarify if agreements based on dynamic alignment will require UK to interpret and apply EU law in conformity with CJEU case law outside dispute resolution context.
- Provide update on progress through new Dialogues on professional qualifications and business mobility, ideally including shared UK-EU roadmap for priority sectors.
- Outline specific objectives in talks with EU to address barriers touring performers face since Brexit and identify remaining barriers ahead of next summit.
Government position
The Government accepts the broad thrust of the Committee's findings on the strategic importance of UK-EU partnership and accepts or partially accepts most recommendations. On fisheries, it defends the 12-year extension as pragmatic national interest; on defence, it accepts SAFE negotiations failed but rejects the implication the UK was at fault; on regulatory alignment, it acknowledges reduced autonomy but frames this as price for improved trade terms. It commits to continued engagement across multiple negotiation strands (food standards, ETS linking, professional qualifications, youth mobility) and regular parliamentary updates via existing scrutiny mechanisms rather than new arrangements.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Foreign Affairs Committee, UK Government/Prime Minister, EU/European Commission, Government of Gibraltar, Spain, Ukraine, Russia
Notable line
“… into office, the Government has reset relations with European partners in order to improve our economic and security cooperation following Brexit.”
Key Quotes
“The EU is our closest neighbour, sharing common challenges, and by far our biggest trade partner, with total trade in goods and services between us of £841.7 billion in 2025 – and that is why the”
“The Fisheries agreement must be viewed in the context of the legal framework inherited from the previous Government. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) already provided a de facto guarantee for EU boats' access to UK waters beyond”
“This Government has always been clear that we will only sign agreements that are in the national interest - in this case we were unable to reach an agreement that passed that test.”
“Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine is a clear violation of international law, and the UK condemns in the strongest terms Russia's aggression and the immense human and economic damage it continues to cause.”
“The EU has been clear that the only route to an EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) exemption is to fully link with the EU ETS and charge the same effective carbon price.”
“We understand that barriers remain, reflecting the cumulative impact of operating across multiple systems, regulatory frameworks and requirements.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗