New course to Brexit: Great Britain and EU start historical restart!

New course to Brexit: Great Britain and EU start historical restart!

On May 19, 2025, Great Britain and the EU announced a historical fresh start at a summit in London. British Prime Minister Keir Strandmer, who expressed the wish to combine his country more closely with continental Europe, spoke of a "new chapter" in bilateral relationships. This meeting, which was based on months of preparations, is considered the first UK-EU summit since Brexit and was accompanied by numerous high-ranking politicians, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, President of the European Council. world Pffels were access to EU markets, fishing rights and agricultural products.

A central result of the summit is the agreement on fishing rights, which granted access to British waters by the end of June 2038, in exchange for similar rights for British fishermen in European waters. Prime Minister Starmer emphasized that this represents a "win-win situation" for both sides, while at the same time excluding a return to freedom of movement. In an interview, he was confronted with the question of whether he "sold" the fish, which alludes to the emotional tensions between the EU and the United Kingdom, such as the Süddeutsche reported. The controls of food at the borders to the EU have also been simplified, which makes it easier to sell crustaceans and burgers to the EU in the future.

progress in different areas

The agreement, which consists of 24 points, also includes progress in the areas of security and defense, including a planned defense and security package between Great Britain and the EU. Straers even consider British participation in the EU's civil and military crisis management. In a further step, the British companies should have access to a 150 billion euro program for reworking Europe. The British energy sector is also promised a more efficient design of electricity trade agreements with the EU, since Great Britain imported 14 percent of its electricity to connections with Belgium, Denmark, France and Norway, such as the Tagesschau holds.

A “youth experience program” is planned for young people, which is intended to make mobility under 30. However, it remains unclear when this program will start and there are no access to British universities or the National Health Service (NHS). The agreed annual summit should serve to pursue progress in the negotiations. While some politicians describe the summit as historical and groundbreaking, critics, including Boris Johnson, express concerns about the potential backbearing of the United Kingdom to the EU.

Overall, the progress of the negotiations is currently perceived as low, and specific schedules are still pending. Nevertheless, this approach could be a step towards a more stable and cooperative relationship between Great Britain and the EU after the turbulence of Brexit.