How has the 19 May summit changed EU-UK relations?

The 19 May summit has put some lyrics on the change in mood music of the relationship between the European Union and United Kingdom. Although the main outcomes are declarations of intent that require negotiations on detail, they constitute a significant step forward.

The change in the US position on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has highlighted how much the EU and the UK have in common. In foreign policy, this extends beyond defending Ukraine, to fighting climate change, promoting open trade and shoring up the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.

This realisation led to an ambitious security and defence partnership. This will allow British defence firms to take part in joint procurement projects, boosting European production capacity. Achieving EU strategic autonomy requires working with the UK to build effective defence and deter Russian aggression.

On trade, the UK is moving towards effectively rejoining the single market for electricity and animal and plant products. This will create much better conditions for trade and investment in energy infrastructure. It required the UK to accept dynamic regulatory alignment and jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU. Further negotiations will be needed on the price of electricity and conditions for a level playing field, including state aid and wider environmental rules. But relinking the emissions trading systems could exempt the UK from the carbon border adjustment mechanism due for introduction next year.

The agreements will now have to be nailed down. On the EU side, there will be discomfort at the idea of British cherry-picking of parts of the single market, while mobility issues remain politically sensitive for the UK. But this summit has shown the UK’s potential role in the new coalitions of the willing that are emerging across Europe to manage geopolitical challenges. That bigger picture has put the smaller differences into perspective.

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