New Agreement: Great Britain and the EU ring the era of collaboration!

New Agreement: Great Britain and the EU ring the era of collaboration!

Vienna, Österreich - On May 19, 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new agreement on the cooperation between Great Britain and the European Union. This is the first big summit since Brexit, which took place in January 2020. In the nightly negotiations that preceded the meeting, important aspects of future relationships between the United Kingdom and the EU were discussed, which have now been recorded in a comprehensive agreement. The breakthrough is to be seen as the most important realignment of the relationships since Brexit. Several media report this, including vienna.at.

The agreement includes various subject areas such as defense, security, fishing and youth mobility. Particularly noteworthy is a defense and security pact, which gives British armaments companies access to a 150 billion euro program for reworking Europe. In addition, Great Britain is expected to grant access to its fishing reasons for twelve years.

improvements in trade and mobility

The agreements also aim to remove the bureaucratic hurdles and border controls that made bilateral trade difficult. In the future, British companies should be able to participate in EU armaments projects, while a planned "balanced youth experience program" offers young people from Great Britain and the EU the opportunity to work, study or travel in the other area. This program will establish special visa paths and ensure acceptable number of participants.

Despite the positive developments in the negotiations, the current trade figures of the British economy show a different picture with the EU. According to a study by Aston University in Birmingham, British goods exports to the EU decreased by 27 percent between 2021 and 2023, while imports from the EU have decreased by 32 percent. Industries such as agriculture, clothing as well as wood and paper production are particularly affected. The greatest decline was recorded in edible fruits and nuts, where exports decreased by 73.5 percent, as reported.

Therefore, it is not surprising that a majority of the British regrets Brexit, but is currently not interested in re -entry into the EU. Under Prime Minister Strauber, Great Britain, in a way, has approached the EU, especially France and Germany, but remains careful at the same time. Strander rejects a re -entry into the customs union or the internal market, which makes it difficult to assess the political situation.

political reactions and outlook

The SPÖ-EU delegation manager Andreas Schieder described the agreements made as a "historical step". The new Labor government in London plans to further improve relationships with the EU, but many challenges have to be managed. Political interventions are necessary to weaken the negative consequences of Brexit and to support companies in Great Britain. A long -term goal is to stabilize and expand trade relationships to create new perspectives for the British economy.