It is the first time that a British prime minister has visited the community institutions in Brussels since 2019, just before Brexit was consummated. The Labor Party Keir Starmer This Tuesday in the community capital he staged his desired “restart” of cooperation with the European Union after the trauma of divorce and the chaos of the last Governments toriesbut despite the good intentions of both parties, they persist important differences on how to face the new phase of relations between the EU and London.
“We are determined to put this relationship back on a stable and positive basis that I think we all want to see,” Starmer said in a brief joint appearance with the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The British Prime Minister also met with the head of the European Council, Charles Micheland the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
“Dear Keir, in these times of great uncertainty, like-minded partners like us must cooperate more closely“Von der Leyen told her. The president highlighted that the EU and the United Kingdom maintain a common position on issues such as the war in Ukraine, the crisis in the Middle East or the fight against climate change.
“Our alignment on international affairs provides a good foundation for our bilateral relations. We have a set of solid agreements in place. We should explore the scope for greater cooperation while focusing on the full and faithful implementation” of these pacts, the president insisted. She was referring to the correct implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, the Windsor Framework that governs the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom.
The Governments of the Twenty-seven demand that London comply with existing agreements as a precondition for improving relations after Brexit. Labour’s Starmer has flatly ruled out a return to the single market and customs union, and Brussels is concerned that he (like his Conservative predecessors) will seek an à la carte relationship with the EU, with benefits but without any obligations for London. Something that the Member States are not willing to accept.
However, Starmer’s aspirations in his relationship with the EU are totally different. The Labor Prime Minister wants to sign a veterinary agreement to facilitate the transit of goods and another pact that would aim to reduce the bureaucratic procedures that the British musicians who want to tour in the EU.
The only issue on which there is a certain convergence between Brussels and London is the need to strengthen relations in matters of security and foreign policy, although neither party has explained how this would be achieved in practice.
Both leaders agree that the first step should be to “jointly define the areas in which enhanced cooperation would be mutually beneficial, such as the economy, energy, security and resilience“, yes, “fully respecting their internal procedures and institutional prerogatives.” To this end, they have agreed to “advance at an accelerated pace in this reinforced cooperation agenda over the coming months.”
Von der Leyen and Starmer have finally committed to holding regular EU-UK summits at leadership level to monitor the development of the relationship. The first summit will be held in early 2025.
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