Europe and UK are reorganizing relationships according to Brexit

Europe and UK are reorganizing relationships according to Brexit

The United Kingdom and the European Union have signed a pioneering agreement that aims to redesign their relationships after Brexit and to loosen the travel and work restrictions on hundreds of million people on the continent. This contract, which came about at a summit in London on Monday, follows for months of negotiations between Downing Street and Brussels.

important agreements for the future

The pact includes agreements on topics such as defense, migration, work and travel, and the leaders of both sides hope that it has left the years of tension. "This is a historical moment," said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the British Prime Minister Keir Strander when they presented the agreement. "We'll open a new page. We open a new chapter in our unique relationship." Strander added: "Great Britain is back on the world stage."

reduction in trade barriers

The two sides have made an agreement to make the trade between their markets easier, which was one of the most controversial topics of the lengthy Brexit negotiations. Downing Street announced that they want to reduce the bureaucratic hurdles that British companies are exposed to the EU when exporting food and drinks exported. This agreement also includes the complete abolition of some routine controls for animal and herbal products.

Straße said that the changes could ultimately "lower food prices and increase the selection in the supermarkets", but insist that they do not exceed certain "red lines" that are of central importance for the Brexit vision of the government, including the remains outside the EU internal market and the customs union. "This means more security and stability for farmers and food producers as well as fishermen on both sides of the canal," said von der Leyen on Monday.

new defense measures

The two sides have increased more and more closely in the field of defense since the invasion of Russia, and this unit has grown since the threats of the Trump administration to withdraw its security guarantees for Europe. This made defense one of the least controversial aspects of the negotiations. The agreement provides for a formal agreement on a new defense partnership between the UK and the EU that enables British companies access to a Europe -wide defense program.

"This joint purchase will increase our operational readiness and make military gaps," said von der Leyen.

changes for British and Europeans

The two sides will work on a youth mobility program that should enable among 30-year-olds to travel and work between the UK and Europe. Although Strander emphasizes that there will be no return to the full freedom of movement that the British could enjoy as an EU member, European civil servants emphasized that such an agreement could be an advantage for both sides.

British students will also have access to the Erasmus program that gives them study abroad in other European countries. The two sides have agreed to find a regulation for this program. "This will enable the next generation to live and study in the countries of each other again. That will create friendships that last for a lifetime," said von der Leyen.

a challenging political environment

Straers negotiated in a unique political environment. Public opinion is largely behind him: More and more British regret the exit from the EU and appreciate an agreement with the block of a similar agreement with the USA. However, the prime minister, whose government is unpopular in office, is aware of the threat of populist rights. The UK party reform leads the surveys, and its chairman Nigel Farage, the main architect of the Brexit movement, has already tried to present the agreement as a surrender to Brussels.

By deciding to extend access to British waters to the EU fishermen by 2038-12 years longer than the current agreement-Farage and other critics receive plenty of food. "We will become a regulator from Brussels again," complained the conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch.

Straßer will try to establish another narrative: that the agreement on Monday has finally concluded a controversial part of British political history. "It's time to look ahead," he said. "In order to depreciate from the old, tired debates and political struggles and find factual, practical solutions that offer the best for the British citizens."