The UK and European Union have reached a landmark agreement on food and fishing rights, just hours before a major London summit aimed at resetting relations more than five years after Brexit.
Finalized Monday, the deal extends EU access to British fishing waters until the end of June 2038—12 years beyond the previous timeline, according to EU sources cited by British media.
In exchange, Brussels agreed to indefinitely simplify sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on food, animal, and agricultural products entering the EU from the UK. This key breakthrough removed a long-standing EU demand to tie SPS arrangements to fishing access.
The last-minute compromise comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and senior EU officials for a high-level summit in London.
The agreement, though hailed as a major step forward, may face backlash from UK opposition parties such as the Conservatives and Reform UK, who have pushed for stricter national control over British waters post-Brexit.
While the deal resolves major trade and regulatory frictions, discussions continue on a youth mobility scheme. The UK’s proposed cap on EU participant numbers remains a sticking point, with Brussels opposing any limitations.
The summit seeks to mark a new era in UK-EU cooperation, despite lingering political divisions.
