A key part of the deal involves giving European fishing boats a further 12 years of access to British waters in exchange for easing some trade frictions.
It marks the biggest reboot since the UK officially left the EU in 2020 and comes after years of disagreements over Brexit.
In return, the UK will give the EU access to its fishing waters until 2038 – a 12-year extension of arrangements already in place.
The post-Brexit deal on fishing rights, which gave EU boats continued access to UK waters, was set to expire at the end of June 2026.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said giving the EU access to British waters for 12 years “was three times longer than the government wanted”.
It’s time to put aside the “political fights” surrounding Brexit, according to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, since the UK and the EU have agreed to a significant relationship reset.
The UK and the EU have reached an agreement that includes strengthening ties in several policy areas that are still up for negotiation, as well as fishing, trade, defense, and energy.
In exchange for reducing some trade tensions, a significant component of the agreement is granting European fishing vessels an additional 12 years of access to British waters.
The largest reboot since the UK’s formal exit from the EU in 2020, it follows years of Brexit-related disputes.
While the Liberal Democrats claimed the government had taken some “positive first steps” to repairing ties with Europe, the Conservatives and Reform UK have characterized the agreement as a “surrender” to the EU.
Late on Sunday, the deal was completed in preparation for Monday’s summit in London between EU leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.
At the summit, Sir Keir declared, “It’s time to look forward.”.
“To find sensible, workable solutions that benefit the British people the most, rather than relying on stale old arguments and political battles.”.
“If collaborating with partners will help us better the lives of people back home, we’re willing to do so. “,”.
The summit was a “historic moment” made possible “thanks to the leadership” of Sir Keir, according to European Commission President von der Leyen, who made this statement at a press conference.
She declared, “We’re turning a page,”. “A new chapter in our relationship is beginning. “,”.
It will make “a real difference to people in the UK and across our union” during a period of global instability, the president said.
The agreement, according to the government, would simplify the import and export of food and beverages by cutting down on paperwork and inspections.
The government announced that certain regular inspections of plant and animal products would be eliminated entirely.
In exchange, the UK will grant the EU access to its fishing waters through 2038, extending the current agreements by 12 years.
“It amounted to a rollover of the existing terms agreed as part of the revised withdrawal agreement negotiated by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government in 2019,” according to one diplomatic source.
The agreement states in its text: “We appreciate the political agreements that will allow for full reciprocal access to fisheries until June 30, 2038, and the ongoing extension of energy cooperation. “..”.
The post-Brexit fishing rights agreement, which allowed EU vessels to continue using UK waters, was scheduled to expire at the end of June 2026.
Additionally, the UK government announced a £360 million investment fund for fishing and coastal communities.
Even though fishing only makes up 0.04% of the UK’s GDP, British control over its fishing grounds was a major point of contention during the Brexit campaign.
In support of the deal, Sir Keir claimed that it would provide British fishing communities with “stability over the long term” and enable them to “sell more easily into the European market.”.
The 12-year agreement on access for European boats “will be the end of the fishing industry,” the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, stated.
The Prime Minister “must ignore the naysayers and dinosaurs in Reform and the Conservative Party and be more ambitious in getting the best deal in the national interest,” according to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey.
Giving the EU 12 years of access to British waters “was three times longer than the government wanted,” according to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
“We’re once again turning into a rule-taker from Brussels,” she declared.
The agreement requires the UK to abide by regulations set by Brussels regarding the trade of food, emissions trading, and possible electricity market cooperation.
This arrangement, which is called dynamic alignment, would entail the UK allowing the European Court of Justice to have a say in any trade disputes.
Johnson stated in a post on X that the UK would have to accept EU law on a number of measures, ranging from emissions trading to food standards, if it were to “sell out of a deal.”.
The United Kingdom “will once again be paying countless millions of pounds into EU coffers – for the privilege of becoming the non-voting punk of the EU Commission,” he said, citing Sir Keir’s agreement.
The prime minister’s spokesperson stated that payments to the EU for the energy and agricultural product agreements were “not big,” but she did not provide an estimate.
The government stated that future negotiations would address the distinction between these “administrative costs” and the payments necessary to participate in EU programs.
