European leaders and UK prime minister Keir Starmer will meet in London on Monday (19 May) for the first formal EU-UK summit since Brexit, hoping to sign off on a new defence agreement and to improve post-Brexit trade ties.
Starmer came to power in mid-2024, promising to "reset" relations between London and Brussels, and talks have been frequent since then. While defence and support for Ukraine remain central topics, negotiations have also focused on a veterinary agreement, fishing quotas, and youth mobility schemes.
In the run-up last week to the summit, EU member states pushed back against UK positions on a fishing and a youth mobility deal, with diplomats pointing to frustrations over what they describe as a UK strategy of divide-and-rule, attempting to exploit divisions within the EU to gain leverage.
The path is far from easy, as political and economic uncertainties continue to weigh heavily on both sides.
The success of Nigel Farage’s rightwing Reform UK — the rebranded successor to the Brexit Party — in UK local elections earlier in May is likely to dampen Starmer's pro-EU tone.
Meanwhile, in the EU, the experience of Brexit has left many leaders wary. And there is a deep reluctance to offer the UK any special treatment.
While the €800bn ‘ReArm’ programme launched by the EU Commission in March offers the possibility of UK firms having access to some joint procurement, UK officials are pushing to formalise and expand this through a new security pact — similar to the one the EU signed with Norway in May 2024.
A security and defence partnership between the EU and the UK could serve mutual interests, bolstering defence collaboration and providing economic stability amid global uncertainties.
On Tuesday (20 May), EU foreign affairs ministers are expected to officially adopt the 17th round of sanctions against Russia during a meeting in Brussels.
Talks will also cover EU military support to Ukraine, with discussions held via videoconference with Ukraine’s defence minister Rustem Umerov, and Nato chief Mark Rutte, who will join in person. This will be followed by a videoconference with Ukriane’s foreign affairs minister Andrii Sybiha.
EU ministers will also discuss the situation in the Middle East, and specifically Gaza. Talks come after the Netherlands became the latest member state to call for a revision of the EU's trade agreement with Israel, worth €46.8bn annually, due to concerns over human rights violations.
The European Parliament will also hold a debate in Brussels on the EU’s response to the crimes being committed in Gaza on Wednesday (21 May).
Meanwhile, there are modest expectations of a foreign ministers meeting between the EU and African Union in Brussels on Wednesday. Diplomats have said that they are not expecting any major announcements but that the meeting will prepare the ground for an EU-AU summit later this year.
Also on Wednesday, the European Commission's proposal to simplify the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will be discussed by MEPs during a mini-plenary session in Brussels, with a vote scheduled for Thursday (22 May).
The proposed changes aim to reduce administrative burdens by exempting small importers (those importing less than 50 tonnes of CBAM-covered goods annually) from compliance obligations.
This adjustment reportedly still maintains coverage of over 99 percent of emissions from imports of iron, steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers, while exempting approximately 90 percent of importers (who are small or medium enterprises).
EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will address MEPs in the internal market committee on Tuesday. He is likely to face questions on EU’s plans to counter US tariffs and the state of play of the customs reform.
Still on Tuesday, MEPs in the development committee will address challenges linked to the Global Gateway, the future of international aid, and humanitarian funding.
The state of media in the EU will be discussed in the new special committee European Democracy Shield.
The European Commission is expected to present its latest economic forecast on Monday.
Later in the week, the EU-European Economic Area (EEA) Summit will take place on Wednesday, bringing foreign affairs ministers from Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway to Brussels. Talks will be mainly focused on economic security amid current global instability.
On Thursday, ministers responsible for the internal market will meet in Brussels to discuss the EU’s Competitiveness Compass. During the meeting, the European Commission will present the 2025 single market strategy, which draws on the findings of Enrico Letta’s recent report.
These discussions on competitiveness will be followed on Friday (23 May) by talks on the EU’s flagship research programme, Horizon Europe, as well as space policy.
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Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.
Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.