The UK-EU Summit

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council António Costa for the first UK-EU Summit since the UK left the EU, held on 19th May 2025 in London.

The UK and the EU have agreed on a substantial package to take forward their future partnership.

Two key elements:

• Security and Defence Partnership – facilitates closer co-operation and, through secondary agreements to be negotiated, new common procurement opportunities for defence companies.​

• Common Understandings document – framework paving the way to a series of agreements on reducing trade barriers, co-operation on food safety, energy co-operation, youth experience, climate, borders and migration, wider co-operation and exploration of further steps.
   

Read the Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s full remarks from the press conference with EU Leaders held on 19th May 2025 here
 

UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Some key points from the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement include:

AGRI-FOOD MARKET

• An agri-food deal which will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone meaning the removal of Export Health Certificates.
• The removal of plant health certificates.
• The removal of Certificates of Inspection for organic products and the removal of marketing standards certification requirements.
• The moving goods between GB and NI will be easier, reducing the need for paperwork and checks due to the removal of SPS and other requirements, helping make sure that the same products can be found on shelves across all parts of the UK
   

STEEL

• The Commission has confirmed that they will restore the UK’s country-specific steel quota to historic levels and that this will be reflected in a post-2026 regime.
• This agreement will support the British steel sector by protecting more tariff-free exports to the EU.
   

The full Joint Statement and Common Understanding, as well as an explainer document can be found here.
 

Next steps 

• UK and EU to reach agreements on SPS, ETS linkage, youth experience and associate membership of Erasmus+​

• Ratify and implement agreement on Competition Co-operation​

• Finalise timeline for implementation of Entry/Exit Scheme and usage by UK nationals of eGates at EU borders

• Windsor Framework next stage of implementation on food movements (1 July 2025)​

• Full EU CBAM rollout to be completed by 1 January 2026. UK CBAM due to be introduced in January 2027. EU Deforestation Regulation due to apply from end of 2025 for larger companies

• Next UK-EU summit (mid-2026)