On 19 May, a summit of British and EU leaders will be held in London first since the brexit at specified a advanced level. According to Polish MEPs, both sides matured to re-establish their relations and are key partners. Talks are primarily about defence issues, but besides the anticipation of the free movement of young people. Trade issues stay a challenge in relations.
– Britain left the European Union 5 years ago, and we regret that fact and we know that the polls show that present the majority of British society is besides regretting it. The UK was, is and will be part of Europe, 1 of the key countries for Europe's safety – says news agency Michał Kobosko, associate of the European Parliament, Poland 2050. – That is why present we have very close cooperation on safety matters – on the 1 hand, supporting Ukraine, here the UK is 1 of the main European players and working closely with European capitals, on the another hand, to guarantee our common security.
Britain left the European Union at the end of January 2020, 3 and a half years after the brexit referendum. Relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom are presently governed by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which entered into force on 1 January 2021. However, since the talks about the British leaving the community, the planned summit will be the first specified advanced level. The president of the European Council Antonio Costa and the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen were announced coming to London. The gathering will be hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 1 of the most crucial topics will be cooperation in the field of defence. The talks will focus peculiarly on a possible safety pact in which the UK could participate in a joint EU arms acquisition programme.
– We are getting closer and closer to the minute erstwhile arms companies, companies representing the defence manufacture from countries specified as the United Kingdom will besides be able to participate in the fresh EU programme on the expansion of defence manufacture and fresh arms procurement. It's natural and obvious. – says Euro MP from Poland 2050. – Firstly, we have had very close cooperation for decades in the arms manufacture with Britain, we know their products, they are widely present in the armies on the European continent. This is our natural, highly close ally within NATO and from our position it is absolutely natural that British companies besides gotta participate in a common European defence manufacture expansion programme.
The EU and UK bring together 2 challenges: the military by Russia and the economical by the Donald Trump administration.
– UK is surely a very strong ally of the European Union and a very strong ally within NATO and will surely participate in all possible joint programmes “Lukasz Kohut, associate of the European Parliament for the civilian Coalition, argues. – The British have resigned themselves from the European Union itself, so it is hard to say whether Europe's participation in the fresh arms task will be on the table at this summit, but it seems to be. The UK is very active in the context of the situation in Ukraine and in helping the Ukrainians, so I feel that it will be active in this large joint arms task and that NATO will participate in all possible cooperation between associate States.
Michał Kobosko emphasises that specified summits at the highest level will be held regularly from now on. circumstantial discussions are already underway on how to reconstruct the chance for students to participate in student exchange programs, suspended since the brexit. EU and UK leaders are besides to discuss energy cooperation.
– Even if the UK does not join, or alternatively it is hard to imagine that it will return rapidly to the European Union, then this cooperation will become more and more lively due to the fact that we are natural and neighbours and partners – emphasises the Euro MP from Poland 2050.
Trade relations may be a more hard topic, which has caused much controversy during brexit talks. respective days before the summit, Britain and the United States concluded a trade agreement regulating (at least partially) the issue of customs duties. It was defined by the American president as a large success for both countries, economists justice the effects of the agreement by far little enthusiastically. Under the agreement, US duties on the British car manufacture were immediately reduced from 27.5% to 10 percent, while duties on steel and aluminium were abolished. For another British goods, 10% duties will be maintained. The UK reduced its duties on US products from 5.1% to 1.8%.
However, it is inactive unclear what the trade relations between the European Union and the United States will look like. For now, the EU is threatening to taxation US imports worth EUR 95 billion. It besides intends to lodge a complaint with the planet Trade Organisation, claiming that part of the duties are incompatible with global law. EU-UK relations complement this triangle.
– The trade relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom are now very complicated, due to the fact that it is known that the European Union is no longer the United Kingdom, which has caused many problems with customs duties. But due to the global situation, besides the situation with US duties, it seems that the British will choose closer trade cooperation with the European Union, due to the fact that it is simply a large market, with which they are very closely connected. I feel that this summit will be very close to these relations – Luke Kohut predicted.
– Trade relations are the hardest, most delicate subject. In fact, the brexit was based on the feeling that there was no justice here, that Britain was losing its trade relations with the European Union. That is why this is the most delicate subject and the most hard 1 will most likely scope any agreement. On the another hand, in the reality of today's trade war that the United States has waged for the remainder of the world, not only the European Union, relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom should be the best – says Michał Kobosko.
A survey conducted in January in the UK by YouGov indicates that 55% of the British consider brexit to be a bad decision for the country and 30% to be good (in the referendum, 52% of the voters voted to leave the EU). Only 11% see him more as a success than a failure. There is clear public support for close relations with the EU. The most popular option is to strengthen bilateral relations, but without a formal return to the EU, 64% of the British would support this policy. However, 55 percent of the population would be in favour of a "repeated" brexit. 39% say they powerfully support Britain's re-entry into the EU.
