The 27 EU countries have given the green light to the agreement between the European Union and Great Britain .
The post-Brexit agreement includes a partnership on security and defence, a declaration of UK-EU solidarity and a common agreement on issues ranging from defence, trade, fisheries and youth mobility .
These are the key points highlighted by the BBC: a security pact between London and Brussels, in light of international tensions and in particular the conflict between Russia and Ukraine; an agreement on alignment in veterinary matters (to reduce barriers to trade in agri-food ); an agreement on youth mobility with facilitated visas valid for 4 years for under-30s , but without a return to the freedom of movement in force before Britain's divorce from the Union; an extension to 12 years of the agreements on fishing (compared to the seven that had been previously discussed), strongly supported by the EU and especially by France. According to Sky News, the agreement on this dossier does not entail any reduction in the British fishing quota or an increase in the quota for EU countries.
The defence and security agreement opens the way for Britain to participate in Safe – the €150 billion EU rearmament fund – as a partner country .
The UK expects to generate £9bn in savings and new revenues annually by 2040 under the agreement. The EU and the UK have committed to holding an annual summit to update their relationship.
"We have reflected on the need to develop an ambitious and dynamic relationship that meets the needs of our citizens", reads the joint statement of Brussels and London that accompanies the so-called "reset deal" , the package of agreements between the Union and Great Britain. In the joint statement, the parties focus on the main global dossiers, starting with that of duties.
“We reaffirmed our shared principles of maintaining global economic stability and our mutual commitment to free, sustainable, fair and open trade, in line with our common values , as well as the importance of cooperating with all our trading partners to safeguard the resilience of our supply chain and monitor trade diversions.”
The EU and the UK "join Ukraine and international partners, including the United States, in calling for a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire and meaningful talks for a genuine peace that ends Russia's hostilities ". They also say they "stand ready to continue to put pressure on Russia, including through further sanctions, measures to prevent circumvention, sectoral measures and caps on oil prices, and by ensuring that Russian sovereign assets remain immobilised until Russia ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine and makes reparations for the damage caused by this war".
Brussels and London also affirm "their commitment to seeing an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid . They underline the importance of pursuing a lasting and sustainable peace based on the two-state solution."
The first details that have emerged have sparked harsh reactions from the British Conservatives : leader Kemi Badenoch said she was "very concerned". " We are returning to being subject to the rules of Brussels ," she declared, "and without details on limits or times for youth mobility, fears of a return to free movement will only increase." Nigel Farage speaks of a British "surrender" to the Union and a backtracking on Brexit . For Farage, the agreement will "put an end" to the British fishing industry.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer instead speaks of an agreement reached in the name of "the national interest" and based on "common sense, on practical solutions" to give "the best to the British people" as "independent and sovereign nations do" . "It is time to look forward, to leave behind old debates to improve people's lives", he continued. "Let's go back to facing the world in the great tradition of this nation, building the relationships we choose with the partners we choose".
(Online Union)