The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Nick Thomas-Symonds)
At the first ever UK-EU summit on 19 May, the Government agreed a new strategic partnership with the EU—a partnership to boost the prosperity, safety and security of both our peoples, and to help strengthen Europe-wide defences.
We have made good progress since May, with negotiations ongoing to implement these commitments, including on energy co-operation, youth experience, education, judicial co-operation and law enforcement. In the past fortnight, we also launched negotiations on a food and drink deal and the linking of our carbon markets. Whether it is slashing red tape for business, helping to bring down bills, or deepening co-operation on challenges posed by illegal migration, including action to tackle people smuggling and deepen information sharing, these deals are good for bills, good for our borders and good for jobs.
A key outcome from the summit was the adoption of a new security and defence partnership with the EU, filling a critical gap left in the trade and co-operation agreement between the UK and EU, and enabling us to strengthen our co-operation on a wide range of areas critical to European security. We are working quickly with the EU to implement the partnership and have stepped up our co-operation on key issues such as support to Ukraine, tackling hybrid threats and supporting stability in the western Balkans.
The SDP also unlocked the possibility for enhanced UK participation in the Security Action for Europe instrument. Earlier this autumn, the UK and the EU commenced formal negotiations on a bilateral agreement to facilitate UK participation. The UK entered these negotiations in good faith, recognising our mutual strategic interest and commitment to work with the EU on defence. However, we have not been able to conclude these negotiations with an agreement.
This Government have always been clear that we will only sign agreements that are in the national interest. In this case, we were unable to reach an agreement that passed that test.
While it is disappointing that we have not been able to positively conclude discussions on UK participation in the first round of SAFE, the UK’s defence industry continues to have access to SAFE under standard third country terms. UK companies will be able to participate and benefit from SAFE contracts to provide up to 35% of their content.
International partnerships, including with our European allies, will remain key to delivering our defence industrial strategy. The UK and EU member states are already working closely to strengthen the European defence industrial base. Since this Government took office, we have struck defence agreements across Europe, including the landmark Trinity House agreement with Germany, and the historic Northwood declaration to deepen nuclear co-operation and co-ordination with France, and we will continue this close co-operation.
The UK is already at the heart of European co-operation in the face of rising threats—through one of the largest defence budgets in Europe; unmatched alliances, including through NATO; a world-leading defence industrial base; and iron-clad military and training support to Ukraine.
And we continue to step up on European security, from leading the coalition of the willing for Ukraine to strengthening our relationships with allies.
We will continue to pursue export deals that benefit Britain, and to provide these systems and weaponry and the innovation that helps make Europe safe. In the last year alone we have struck a £10 billion deal with Norway and secured an £8 billion Typhoon agreement with Türkiye.
Yesterday I spoke with EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, where I underlined that the UK remains fully committed to continuing our close co-operation with the EU and our European partners, including to strengthen European security and maintain our unwavering support for Ukraine.
We will continue working together in good faith to implement the wider package agreed at the UK-EU summit.
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