“Although she has yet to say which other areas [beyond removing barriers to trade in established industries e.g. chemicals] she would like to see covered by the new approach, Reeves has told colleagues that an EU-UK summit later this year should identify new workstreams.” www.ft.com/content/98e5...

“The challenge for Ukraine’s membership prospects is getting all 27 member countries on board… any decision to expand the bloc requires unanimous support” And it’s not just a case of overcoming Orban’s opposition. Accession treaties require ratification by all ms www.politico.eu/article/5-st...

“Multiple current and former Brussels-based diplomats… as well as senior political figures… involved in the 2004 enlargement of the bloc, say a timeline where Ukraine joined in the next two or three years is unworkable, both politically and practically.’ Indeed… www.irishtimes.com/world/europe...

‘“Simply reducing friction doesn’t mean we are going to get the EU market back again. There aren’t empty spaces on the shelves with a label saying ‘waiting for British products’.” ‘In other words, it could take years to restore Brexit losses.’ www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Digest version of recent piece for Political Quarterly.l MLAs will come back for second ‘Democratic Consent’ vote in 2028 Context then to include impact of UK-EU reset (potential reduction of frictions on ‘Irish Sea border’)… and next NI Assembly politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/the-nor...

“Restarting EU membership negotiations is not in the EU's thinking just yet. Still, Kos said that "we need to look with fresh eyes at our relations… My visit... is about rebuilding trust and exploring how we can make our economic relationship work better." www.politico.eu/article/eu-l...

“Can Greenland join the EU? Since it is not a ‘state’ it cannot formally join under the general accession process under Article 49 TEU. However, it can move from OCT to OR status, meaning that it would again become part of the EU” ukandeu.ac.uk/can-greenlan...

Highly recommended www.iaces.ie/events/still...

‘The single market relies on a country accepting "the four freedoms": freedom of movement, goods, services and capital.’ Clumsy BBC definition of the single market www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

‘The PM told hacks “we can go further” in aligning with the EU single market where “in our national interest.” He added: “There are other areas in the single market where we should look to see whether we can’t make more progress.”’ www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

EU-UK Joint Committee to meet 2 February commission.europa.eu/document/dow...

"As security concerns rise and reliance on Washington comes under scrutiny, EU membership is increasingly discussed in Reykjavik not as an economic choice, but as a question of long-term defence and geopolitical alignment." Hardly suprising www.euractiv.com/news/trumps-...

Bottom line is that formally expanding the membership of the EU in any way requires unanimity among the member states *and* ratification of the associated accession treaty by each member state. On which... www.ft.com/content/a42e...

Note too that any new SPS arrangements will be EU-GB… existing arrangements for Northern Ireland will remain in place and not be superseded www.ft.com/content/3733...

“There is little chance of Brussels allowing the UK to ‘cherry pick’ further access to the single market sector-by-sector, in the manner Starmer laid out. His proposal sounds like yet another case of Brexit wishful thinking from a UK [PM].” - @jreland.bsky.social ukandeu.ac.uk/new-year-sam...

“Kyiv insists that a firm date for its EU accession be included in the peace agreement, but EU diplomats are pushing to water down any binding commitments or propose some form of membership that does not immediately entail all the benefits” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

'Starmer’s allies admit that persuading Brussels to give the UK preferential access to the single market will be difficult. 'In Brussels there was a sense of déjà vu amid warnings that — as with... Boris Johnson’s failed attempts to “cherry pick” access to... www.ft.com/content/0808...

Starmer: “I think we should get closer and if it’s in our national interest, in our interest, to have even closer alignment with the single market, then we should consider that, we should go that far” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

“All of this demonstrates… how well informed the UK government system was about Ireland in the years prior to the EU referendum. “The scale of the complacency and ineptitude which were to follow will be marvelled upon by historians.” www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/comm...

Full report: www.britishchambers.org.uk/news/2025/12...

Some 53% of UK exporters told the [BCC] that the trade deal with Europe was unsatisfactory — a 13 percentage point increase from 2024. “By contrast, just 16% of nearly 900 exporters surveyed in October said the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement… was working well.” www.ft.com/content/b3d3...

Let's go through the Eramus statement together 1/ ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Joint statement confirmed negotiations concluded on UK's association to Erasmus+ in 2027 Also shared aim to conclude negotiations on Youth Experience Scheme, common SPS Area and linking of ETS schemes by next [annual] EU-UK summit... although no date for this ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

“[Unionist] criticism comes despite ministers in London hailing the move as a major step forward and local business bodies including the NI Chamber and Horticultural Trades Association welcoming the development” www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/bre...

"agreement to rejoin Erasmus... expected to be announced on Wednesday Also: 'Government sources... [PM] is pursuing an “iterative” process with the EU and that at the next annual reset summit, expected in the spring, there will be fresh issues on the table' www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

UK Government response to Lord Murphy's Independent Review of the Windsor Framework published All 16 recommendations accepted. The Independent Review followed the NI Assembly's vote in December 2024 on granting 'Democratic Consent' to the continued application of... www.gov.uk/government/p...

“Any decision to admit a new member would have to be backed by all of the EU’s 27 national governments.” And the European Parliament And be ratified by each of the EU(27). In France, default requirement is ratification by referendum www.ft.com/content/e504...

How has the UK managed the regulatory consequences of Brexit? Delighted to see published with @bjpols.bsky.social latest article with my colleague Lisa Claire Whitten exploring the interaction with devolution and the Windsor Framework. journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

"rejoining the single market... cannot be sprung on the voters at the election. You have to spend the coming years making the case, perhaps preparing the European Commission and member states. Lest we forget, they have the actual say on this." Drop the 'perhaps'. www.ft.com/content/2d00...

“if you’ve just read all of [this] and have no clue what I’m talking about … you really shouldn’t be talking about customs unions.” - @samuelmarclowe.bsky.social mostfavourednation.substack.com/p/customs-un...

“I would strongly contest whether rejoining the customs union would either be quick or straightforward,” one cabinet source said.’ Wise source www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

‘UK argues… Brussels is… reopening a debate… at which it was agreed to limit numbers… ‘EU diplomat.. perception among [EU27].. the UK… taking a “hyper-transactional” and “penny-pinching” approach might “demotivate” Brussels to deliver on other areas of British interest’ www.ft.com/content/773b...

“the question boils down to whether the need for common action to confront shared threats overrides protectionist impulses. Security threats… push us towards the former. Economic self-interest and the logic of national politics imply the latter” - @[email protected] www.ft.com/content/0e5e...

'Starmer’s allies are concerned that speculation about Britain rejoining the customs union is not only erroneous but would mean giving up recent UK trade deals. There is also concern the idea will be opposed in Brussels. “Would the EU even accept us?” said one.' www.ft.com/content/963f...

“European leaders are already grappling with packed in-trays… and skepticism remains as to how much room for maneuver [Starmer] actually has. “Starmer’s political red lines — no customs union, no single market, and no return to freedom of movement — remain in place” www.politico.eu/article/brex...

EU-UK Specialised Committee on Implementation of Windsor Framework met today Statement includes positives on progress being made ... still issues to be addressed Frequency of SPS identity checks being reduced AI and Cyber Resilience Acts to apply in NI? TBD commission.europa.eu/document/dow...

"Backing a customs union would represent an explicit manifesto breach... and would also risk damaging relations with Donald Trump... Yet the longer Starmer’s woes persist, the more voices will urge him, as in 2018, to tear up the script." www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

"Negotiators are aiming to finalise a deal by January that would allow the UK to participate in Erasmus from 2027 onwards, according to two UK and EU officials." www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework next meets on 3 December 2025 Agenda as for October meeting, so still exchanging views on whether (and, if so, to what extent) EU's AI Act and Cyber Resilience Act should apply in Northern Ireland www.gov.uk/government/p...

On the Windsor Framework and the NI Assembly's 2024 Democratic Consent vote... With @politicalquarterly.bsky.social Open access via: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

'The government has said the financial package.... will provide a "single point of contact" to solve disputes and guide businesses on trading in NI.' Follows reports and recommendations on Windsor Framework from Lord Murphy and from Independent Monitoring Panel. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly held its 6th meeting this week. The recommendation agreed 👇 www.parliament.uk/globalassets...

‘Under current rules, EU countries can spend up to 35 per cent of the rearmament fund with UK defence companies. If the UK joins Safe, this could rise as high as 50 per cent, but Brussels has said the UK’s contribution needs to reflect the benefits to British industry.’ www.ft.com/content/ba88...

“Major differences remain between the two sides over the level of financial contributions the U.K. would need to make and the minimum mandatory share of components produced inside the EU, with senior British figures signaling they would not seek entry at any price.” www.politico.eu/article/uk-a...

Nothing like a communiqué being issued promptly! Surely worth the wait…

and you can start reliving that trauma tomorrow by joining @instituteforgovernment.org.uk and @ukandeu.bsky.social to discuss tomorrow evening - sign up here. In person or online www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/six-mo...

‘Negotiations are finally underway for Keir Starmer's much-hyped Brexit reset. Expect to relive some trauma’ www.politico.eu/article/brex...

EU(27) today welcomed agreement on mandates for negotiations on SPS and ETS agreements with the UK With a reminder: ‘as a matter of principle… relations can only be strengthened based on a full, faithful and timely implementation of existing agreements’ www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/...

Late addition to today's ECOFIN Council. It could have been left to General Affairs Council next week which is 'taking stock' of the state of play in EU-UK relations www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...

“member states… also approved mandates for talks on an agri-food deal to ease cross-Channel trade frictions, and to link the EU and U.K. emissions trading systems.” On whether the UK should contribute financially to… www.politico.eu/article/uk-s...