UK and EU agree deal hailing a 'new chapter' in post-Brexit relations

UK and EU agree deal hailing a 'new chapter' in post-Brexit relations

Silvia Amaro@linkedin.com/in/sílvia-amaro-12188846

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Key Points

• The U.K. and European Union finally agreed to reset relations Monday after Britain’s bitter exit from the EU in 2020
• The deal covers a range of matters including security, energy, trade, travel and fisheries
• British officials said the agreement marked a “historic day” for the two sides

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen at the European Political Community summit, in Tirana on May 16, 2025.

Leon Neal | Afp | Getty Images

The U.K. and European Union announced a landmark deal to reset relations Monday after Britain’s acrimonious exit from the bloc in 2020.

British officials said the signing of the agreement — which covers a range of matters including security, energy, trade, travel and fisheries — with EU officials in London marked a “historic day” for the two sides, and a “new chapter” in their relationship after years of tense post-Brexit relations.

Here are some key takeaways from the deal and how it will affect British consumers and businesses:

Firstly, the deal will make it easier for British food and drink to be imported and exported as it reduces red tape for businesses which have led to lengthy lorry queues at the border. Some routine checks on animal and plant products will also be removed completely, allowing products like British sausages and burgers to be sold back into the EU again.

When it comes to security and defense, the U.K. and EU agreed on a new partnership paving the way for the U.K. defense industry to participate in the EU’s proposed new £150 billion “Security Action for Europe” defense fund.

Fisheries was a big (and thorny) part of the talks ahead of the summit. This new deal extends fishing rights for EU trawlers in U.K. waters until 2038, an agreement particularly coveted by Brussels as an existing deal was due to expire next year.

British holidaymakers will be cheering at least one aspect of the deal, which will enable them to use more “eGates” in EU airports rather than having to have their passports physically checked when they travel to the continent. That agreement should end what the government described as “the dreaded queues at border control.”

Some issues are not entirely resolved, however, including a “youth experience scheme.” Both sides said they would work toward a deal that would make it easier for young people to live and work across the continent.

The program will be designed to enable young people to work and travel freely in Europe again, but will be capped and time-limited, mirroring existing schemes the U.K. has with countries such as Australia and New Zealand.