EU and UK announce summit to discuss 'reset' in post-Brexit relations
The European Union and the United Kingdom have announced a summit on July 22 in Brussels to continue talks on improving relations after Brexit, despite disagreements over a youth mobility scheme.
The EU and the UK have announced their next summit will take place on July 22 in Brussels to discuss the so-called 'reset' in relations between London and Brussels. The summit has been delayed several times due to deadlocked talks over a youth mobility scheme for under-30s to work, travel or study in each other's countries, fueling speculation that it might be postponed until autumn.
European Council President António Costa confirmed the date at the G7 meeting in Evian on Tuesday. 'Close EU-UK cooperation is essential for our shared European security, resilience and prosperity,' he said. 'We are working closely together to make our upcoming second summit on 22 July a success.'
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who could face a leadership challenge after Thursday's Makerfield by-election, said: 'My Labour government is delivering on our promise to reset our relationship and put Britain at the heart of Europe. Together we will tackle the cost of living, boost jobs and create opportunities for young people.'
Naomi Smith, head of the pro-EU campaign group Best for Britain, said 'whoever is in No 10 in July must recognise the increasing importance' of the bloc, and that even 'signalling an intention to pursue membership' would help generate the political will to underpin rejoining.
The summit was originally scheduled for May but delays over the youth mobility programme pushed it to late June, then early July. Until two weeks ago, senior EU diplomats expressed disappointment that 'momentum is being lost' in the 'reset' Starmer has often promised since taking office in 2024.
Other key agenda items include a food and farm produce trade agreement that would remove red tape and physical checks on exports to the EU, with the UK agreeing to align with the bloc's standards. The sanitary and phytosanitary agreement is already partly agreed, with the UK recently unveiling some checks that would be removed, allowing food producers time to prepare for implementation, likely next summer.
Talks are also progressing on an emissions trading system that would allow the UK to align with EU rules involving penalties for high-carbon products.
However, UK resistance to some EU demands in a youth experience programme, including restoring pre-Brexit home tuition fees for EU students, is thought to have delayed the summit. EU diplomats have warned there would be no summit without a youth experience programme, one of the few EU red lines in the reset negotiations.
