EU and UK Announce Trade Deal at Summit

AICES
May 19
2 min read

The UK Government has confirmed a new agreement with the European Union covering a broad range of sectors, from trade and climate policy to justice cooperation and youth mobility. Concluded on 19 May 2025, the agreement follows six months of negotiations and builds on the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Key provisions include a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement that will significantly reduce the need for certification and checks on agri-food products moving between Great Britain and the EU, and between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The arrangement, which has no end date, is designed to cut red tape, support UK exports, and lower consumer prices.

The two sides have also committed to linking their Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS). This move is expected to shield UK businesses from the EU’s incoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

Further measures include:

A new Security and Defence Partnership, enabling UK participation in the EU’s planned £150 billion SAFE defence fund.
New cooperation on criminal justice, including access to EU biometric databases and enhanced Europol collaboration.
A commitment to negotiate the UK’s re-entry into the Erasmus+ student exchange scheme and to establish a youth mobility arrangement.
Steps to facilitate mutual recognition of professional qualifications and improved border management, including extended eGate use and pet travel simplification.
On trade, UK steel exports will benefit from a bespoke arrangement exempting them from new EU tariffs.
Fishing access has been agreed for a further 12 years, maintaining existing EU quotas in UK waters without expansion.

The agreement also outlines a plan to establish a Common SPS Area with dynamic regulatory alignment, dispute resolution mechanisms involving arbitration, and limited exceptions.

Government officials confirmed that the UK remains outside the single market, customs union, and freedom of movement provisions. Talks on implementing the agreement’s commitments are ongoing.