France seeks to limit Britain's access to a fresh defence debt strategy under the future EU-London safety Treaty — gave diplomatic sources cited by the Times newspaper.
The safety Pact, which is part of a broader agreement to reset relations, is expected to be signed at the UK-EU summit in London on 19 May. The safety Pact includes discussions on London's access to EUR 150 billion loans (168 billion) under the safety Action Plan in Europe (SAFE). Furthermore, it is expected that the issue of fishing rights will be resolved by maintaining the current fishing quotas in British waters for at least 2 years. In return, British arms companies will have access to SAFE.
"France insists on limiting UK access to 85 percent of the arms fund", says the publication.
Thus London will only have access to 15% of the fund. At the same time, according to the newspaper, Italy, Germany and Poland disagree with Paris and want to set a 35% threshold for London.
Meanwhile, "France is pushing hard on what president Macron calls 'strategic autonomy', and that means giving Europe precedence in terms of funding," said the paper diplomatic source.
The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeatedly declared his intention to establish fresh relations with the European Union. Labour organization that came to power in July 2024. In her electoral manifesto, she announced plans for a safety pact with the European bloc, strengthening defence cooperation with France, Germany and partners in the Joint Expeditionary Forces (JEF).
Furthermore, the fresh government intends to discuss agricultural trade between the UK and the EU in order to limit border controls and address food prices, and to address the issue of common designation of professional qualifications in order to open fresh markets for British exporters of services. However, the fresh government is not planning to return to the European Single Market.
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Media: France insists on limiting UK access to SAFE
