London and Brussels have managed to close in the last hours an agreement that attempts to guarantee the success of the first bilateral summit between the United Kingdom and the EU of the Post Brexit era, which is held this Monday in the British capital. The Keir Starmer Labor Government has finally yielded in the most thorny matter of the negotiation: it has accepted extending the fishing rights of European fleets in its waters for 12 more years, until 2038. In return, Brussels will allow greater flexibility in the sanitary and phytosanitary controls of the products from the island to the continent, or those that have as the last Irland of the north.
“It is time to build a new strategic association,” proclaimed the president of the European Council, António Costa, upon his arrival in London to formally close the agreement together with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The London Summit is the hope of a “restart” (British version) or “relaunch” (European version) of relationships that have suffered years of deterioration. But it also implies the fear of a new tangle of technical and political complications when reaching an agreement. The Labor Government advances with caution and shyness, while suspicious of the rearview
Brussels welcomes London’s will to repair bridges, but maintains firmness at an attempt to pay that the two parties give in something. Both say that the “red lines” that Brexit set, although it is trusting that this agreement opens the door to a new stage that allows establishing a closer and more fluid relationship than the one maintained since the consolidation of the British divorce of the European bloc in 2020. Brussels also seeks new areas of cooperation.
Security and defense, fishing, greater flexibility of customs controls, energy collaboration or a summit presents an ambition in its objectives that justifies the relevance that has been given.
“Tomorrow [por este lunes]we are going to take a new step forward, which will bring greater benefits to the United Kingdom, as a result of a reinforced collaboration with the European Union. It will be good to create employment, for our bills and for our borders, ”said Starmer.
That is its strategy: try to corner the ideological debate that British policy emponzoñaño during the EU divorce process to highlight the benefits, in economic and security matters, of an approach to the continent.
The statement prior to the summit launched by Downing Street on Sunday promises benefits for the British industry, “which faces bureaucratic paperwork and controls when exporting to our largest and nearest commercial partner”; He says that it will be better for supermarkets, “that they have to transfer these costs to consumers and are reduced the supply of products on their shelves”; And he points out that he will also relieve the invoices of British families.
But on the other side of the Channel of La Mancha, positive results are also expected for the European bloc. “The agreement must be balanced and beneficial for both parties,” said European sources also on Sunday. The negotiations in Brussels to approve the agreement were prolonged a good part of that night and resumed early Monday, while European representatives already arrived in London.
The maximum of the twenty -seven was that nothing is closed until everything is closed, satisfactorily not only for London but also for community capitals. It was the same mantra repeated during the long years of the Brexit negotiations, but in this case the will of both parties is clearly more positive.
First security, then the rest
The meeting in London will summon the British government, and, at the head, and the main authorities of the EU. In addition to Von der Leyen and Costa, the high representative of foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Commissioner of Commerce, Maros Sefcovic participate.
Of all the affairs scheduled for the meeting ,. The Ukraine War and geopolitical uncertainty unleashed by the president of the United States, Donald Trump, have helped strengthen cooperation in this field. London and Brussels have walked hand in hand in their support for kyiv and in their firmness before Vladimir Putin.
The agreement will pursue greater cooperation between the two blocks when financing the “rowing” pursued by Europe, and opens the door to British companies to mechanisms such as SAFE, the fund of 150,000 million euros launched by the commission for the acquisition of armament. The United Kingdom and the EU will respect the framework that covers both, NATO, but will in turn work on a joint defense industrial planning and in a collaboration when developing a long -term geopolitical strategy.
The details of this greater cooperation in one of the key areas of all of Europe in these moments of geopolitical uncertainty will be closed in future specific agreements, although this Monday the political will to advance together on the matter is sealed. The idea, is explained from Brussels, is also to establish a framework for formal semiannual dialogue between high responsible for both parties to be able to discuss these issues, just like the migratory, more coordinated.
“The United Kingdom and the EU share strategic interests: in its support to Ukraine, when managing the threat of Russia, and time to adapt to a world in which the dependence on the military support of the United States is no longer a viable strategy,” says Olivia O’Sullivan, director of the program UK in the World (The United Kingdom in the world) of the Chatham House Thought Center.
After the defense, the summit aims to advance considerably in other matters to overcome the rigidity derived from Brexit. First, which allows the export of British livestock and agricultural products to the North Ireland continent. London ambitions a reduction of up to 80% of those controls, but knows that the price to be paid will be a greater alignment with community regulations and accept the European Court of Justice as a last referee.
Both the populist with his victory in the local elections of May 1, and the leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, increasingly questioned internally, have smelled blood. Both have alerted Starmer to possible “assignments” to Brussels, and have promised that they will reverse them if they come to power. Something like that does not help to generate confidence in the other negotiating part.
The Labor Government also pursues the resumption of collaboration in energy matters. Starmer knows that the autonomy of the island in this matter has its limits. The blackout of Spain and Portugal has been a serious warning of the urgency of the matter.
Young people, the most delicate front
In recent months, which recovers the exchanges that Brexit eliminated. It would be an agreement similar to that already has the United Kingdom with other countries, such as Australia: Limited visas for young people from either side of the La Mancha Canal, which allow them to study, work or travel for a long time.
The Labor Government, which has considerably hardened its immigration policy to retain the left -wing voters seduced by Farage, has so far been reluctant to open the door to an agreement that would increase immigrants figures and resurrect the ghost of freedom of movements that stirred so much the Eurosptics.
Starmer, however, is willing to contemplate a plan with concrete figures for beneficiaries and limited time (around two years) that recover those advantages for British and European young people. According to the BBC and confirm European sources, the program could be renamed as Youth Experience Scheme (YES) to reduce the link to the sensitive immigration issue. In any case, of the Summit of this Junse only an principle of agreement is expected in this matter, which must be negotiated in all its details in the coming months.
