Brussels is laying out sharp lines for its upcoming ‘reset’ talks with the UK — including demands for an early deal on fishing rights and a reiteration of the “don’t skimp” mantra — according to internal discussion papers.
UK ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves who will travel to Brussels on Monday, have he said they are calling for a “very ambitious” reset of the UK’s security and trade arrangements with the EU when negotiations begin next year.
However, a 19-page working document outlining the EU’s interests noted that there were “limited” economic gains on offer as a result of the UK’s own red lines which rule out rejoining the EU’s single market or customs union or accepting a free movement of people.
“A significant further reduction in trade friction with a close trading partner such as the United Kingdom would be in the interest of the European Union. However, this would require a different model of cooperation”, it is stated.
The document, which was sent to EU members and seen by the Financial Times, summarized the findings of several weeks of internal EU Commission seminars to discuss policy positions towards the UK on issues such as fishing rights, youth mobility, energy cooperation and trade arrangements.
Labor said in its election manifesto that it wanted to improve the UK’s relationship with the EU by “breaking down barriers to trade”, but the EU’s approach to member states is very cautious.
The document, prepared by Hungary during its rotating presidency of the Union, reiterates the “no quibble” principles set out by the European Commission in 2017 for relations with the UK, and says it will remain the “main guideline” in the upcoming talks.
It also warns that the UK must agree to a fast-track deal on fish — as well as full implementation of the existing EU-UK deal, including the Windsor Framework on trade arrangements for Northern Ireland after Brexit — if it wants deeper cooperation in other areas.
EU officials have said it is “critical” that the UK honors its commitments and that Brussels still has concerns about the implementation of existing agreements. Ahead of her visit this week, Reeves said the UK was committed to full implementation.
Member states also want an early agreement to retain their fishing rights in UK coastal waters, which would extend the current agreement which expires on 30 June 2026.
Member states have made it clear that the promised ‘reset’ is “credible only if it is based on an early understanding” of the fishery. The document added: “This is necessary to facilitate discussion on other aspects under consideration.”
The European Commission also takes an uncompromising stance on a number of other areas, which it says reflects its advice to member states not to allow the UK access to the EU’s single market on its own terms.
On irregular migration — which involves crossing by small boats — the paper said member states were generally open to deeper cooperation, but said the so-called “return agreement” to send illegal immigrants in the UK back to EU countries was “unacceptable” to many member states.
On legal migration, the EU complains about what it calls the UK’s “restrictive” attitude to business visas, including the £1,035 annual NHS charge. It also sets out a vision for the Youth Experience Scheme — a rebranded version of the youth mobility scheme — for 18-30 year olds.
UK is more than once ruled out such a schemebut there remains “strong support” among EU member states for a reciprocal scheme that allows young people to live and work for up to three years and allows visiting EU students to pay the same tuition fees for UK universities as local students.
On deepening trade ties, the EU says it is open to Labour’s stated aim of a “veterinary deal” with the UK, but insists it will require “dynamic alignment” that requires the UK to automatically rewrite EU rules – and reserve in your statute.
It added that the EU should not negotiate such an agreement “based on the identity of legislation”, and suggested that the UK would have to make a financial contribution to cover the cost of the risk assessment.
A similar approach should also be applied to the possible linking of EU and UK carbon pricing schemes, a step the EU is open to, but which would require dynamic legal alignment and financial contributions to cover the costs of linking.
Brussels is also open to a new security and defense partnership with London, which has been announced last month. Sir Keir Starmer will discuss this with EU leaders in February at an informal meeting in Belgium.
However, the agreement, which is expected to be announced in the first few months of 2025, will be a “legally non-binding instrument”, according to the paper. The document states that such an agreement cannot be used as a backdoor to improve trade ties.
“It was emphasized (by the member states) that the guidelines of the European Council, which exclude sectoral participation in the single market, should be respected,” it added.
EU diplomats said ambassadors would discuss relations with the United Kingdom next week, followed by ministers on December 17.
“It’s still early in the process,” said one. “But it is clear that we need the UK to implement what it has already signed up to — the Windsor Framework — before we make new agreements. And we need an agreement about fish.”
The commission declined to comment.
