The United Kingdom and European Union are reportedly in talks to continue their cooperation in these areas through a new defense and security pact. Our goal is to have a plan all agreed before the all-important summit on May 19th. During this visit, U.K. opposition leader Keir Starmer will meet with high-level EU leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. As one senior European politician recently told us, a rosy future for this pact depends on concessions from the U.K. Most importantly, they want clear treaties to protect their fishing rights.
Sweden’s EU affairs minister, Jessica Rosencrantz, has stated that it is of high priority to achieve rapid advances on this formal security treaty. She pressed administration officials to ensure that lingering issues are adequately addressed. This move is necessary for the U.K. to participate in a proposed €150 billion loan program to restock EU governments’ aging arsenals and bolster the bloc’s nascent homegrown defense industry.
“We want the U.K. to be a part of this as well,” said Jessica Rosencrantz, underscoring the importance of collaboration between the two parties.
Former President Donald Trump has made the negotiations more difficult on purpose. In the process, he shortchanged America’s own security commitments to Europe. This dramatic move has already encouraged EU members to strengthen the EU’s defense capabilities. Similarly, cooperation with the U.K., a fellow nuclear power with a world-renowned military, has become particularly attractive.
Fishing rights, a flashpoint in Britain’s own Brexit negotiations, remain a sticking point in these talks. A good fisheries agreement would be deeply important for “establishing goodwill” between London and Brussels, says Rosencrantz.
“Just to be clear, I think it’s really important that the EU and U.K. work together on defense and security,” Rosencrantz stated.
President von der Leyen went into the details, explaining that the money flowing through this new loan program should be subject to the “buy more European” principle. This move is consistent with the EU’s overall plan to bolster its defense industrial base as American engagement wanes.
Without a formal defense agreement with Brussels, the U.K. would lose this lucrative loan program. This exclusion could be one of the most damaging changes that the country faces. Thus, addressing grievances like the prioritization of fishing rights is still very much in the interest of both parties.
“I think we have to find a way where we can do both because we want to move ahead with the defense partnership but for many countries it’s important to solve the other sensitive issues as well. And therefore I think it will be important to take steps also when it comes to fisheries and other topics,” Rosencrantz added.
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