On Thursday, 24 April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met in London on the sidelines of the IEA’s Summit on the Future of Energy Security for a discussion. The EU and UK are expected to sign a formal declaration committing to “free and open trade” ahead of the EU-UK summit on 19 May.
During the meeting, they discussed the ongoing efforts on the “strategic and defence partnership agreement,” which would enable the UK to “participate in the European Commission’s SAFE programme.”
While the mood between the two has significantly improved and there is a strong likelihood of an agreement being signed at the London Summit, disputes regarding fishing rights and SPS rules, among other issues, persist.
Additionally, von der Leyen highlighted cooperation between the UK and the EU on energy security, identifying the North Sea as a potential “powerhouse” for clean energy technologies. Von der Leyen emphasised the importance of collaboration between the UK and the EU to create a stable and unified regulatory framework, which is essential for unlocking investment in the region.
In a statement released by von der Leyen, she noted, “We are friends, and we are Europeans, we are very like-minded. We share the same interests and the same values. We face the same challenges, but we are complementary also in defending our democracies.”
Notably, the UK is looking to balance its interests by attempting to maintain trade relations with both the U.S. and EU post-Brexit. Efforts to maintain regulatory alignment with the EU – particularly in the agriculture sector – may limit the UK’s ability to achieve bilateral negotiations with the U.S.
Currently, the U.S. is demanding that the UK lower its food quality standards to allow U.S. imports of beef and chicken – something the UK government firmly rejects. As an alternative, the UK government is willing to reduce its digital services tax – primarily affecting large U.S. tech firms – in exchange for tariff reduction on steel, aluminium and cars.
Therefore, the recent meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signals a renewed commitment to cooperation in EU-UK relations, particularly in trade, energy and security. The anticipated signing of a “free and open trade” agreement highlights a step towards greater alignment during a time of shared geopolitical challenges.
