EU-UK summit: new era of closer ties
At their first summit since Brexit five years ago, the leaders of the European Union and the United Kingdom on Monday signed an agreement which paves the way for closer cooperation. The deal foresees intensified collaboration above all in the areas of defence, security and trade. What does the press have to say?
A good start
The Guardian writes that the deal sends the right signal but a faster tempo in the EU-UK rapprochement would be desirable:
“This modest scaling back of Tory-erected barriers is designed to show voters that [Starmer's government] is a rational and responsible government that puts the interests of British businesses and consumers first. It should not have taken nine years since the referendum to reach this point. A group of around 60 Labour MPs is rightly pushing for the government to be more ambitious, emboldened by polling showing that most voters now think Brexit was a mistake. Free movement, however, remains a red line”
Fierce protest to be expected
Starmer's reset of UK relations with the EU will provoke a backlash on three points in particular, The Spectator predicts:
“The first is the end of checks on agricultural exports from the UK, providing there is 'timely dynamic alignment' with EU rules and standards. Britain can 'contribute appropriately' to the formulation of rules and standards - but it has no right of veto. The second is on fishing: the EU will be given 'full, reciprocal access' to UK waters until June 2038 - a period three times longer than the four-year deal many commentators thought likely. The third is the emissions trading scheme, which risks handing the EU control over UK industrial policy.”
Starmer missed an opportunity here
The prime minister is still having a hard time breaking with old Brexit taboos, complains Handelsblatt:
“Because he wants to avoid being accused of reintroducing free movement of persons, he is even putting the brakes on the EU's demand for more youth mobility. Nowhere are the mutual advantages more obvious than here: when young people are allowed to study or complete an apprenticeship on the other side of the English Channel, everyone benefits: participants broaden their horizons, companies gain skilled labour and societies benefit from greater mutual understanding. Agreement on this issue would have sent a real signal that this is a new beginning. But Starmer has missed this opportunity.”