EU-UK Relation

EU-UK Security Pact: A good starting point for closer cooperation

Almost nine years after the Brexit vote, the EU and the UK have signed a Security and Defence Partnership at the first EU-UK Summit, which took place on Monday 19 May in London. As part of a wider-ranging deal which is seen as a “reset” of the UK’s relations with the EU, the security and defence partnership opens up new pathways towards closer cooperation between both sides. This is particularly important in light of Europe’s rearmament and the support for Ukraine. The UK is an indispensable partner in the European security architecture and a crucial counterpart for large security actors such as Germany, France and Poland.

European security cooperation post-Brexit

After the UK left the EU in February 2020, the security relationship between both partners could be described as uneasy at best. The EU and the UK were reluctant to build closer ties after a rough divorce, and both had other priorities on their mind.

Brexit, in many ways, unlocked a new push for more EU integration in the defence realm. The UK had always been a vocal critic in discussions about deeper European defence cooperation, mainly due to its preference for working within NATO structures. With the skeptical partner gone and a need to fill the vacuum left behind, the EU seized this opportunity to move ahead. This resulted in the launch of several new defence initiatives such as PESCO and the European Defence Fund.

In the meantime, the UK’s conservative government prioritised trade over security and spent most of its political bandwidth on pursuing new trade deals with global partners. In terms of European security and defence, it focused on its engagement in NATO and a set of bilateral agreements with several important EU member states, such as the 2010 Lancaster House Treaties with France and the 2024 Trinity House Agreement with Germany. It also played a leading role in flexible formats, such as the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), consisting of the UK, the Nordic countries, the Baltic states and the Netherlands and, more recently, the E5 group (France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK).  

A new reality

This all changed as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine upended the European security landscape and the politics of the Trump administration cast doubt on America’s commitment to Europe. In these new circumstances, there was a realisation on both sides of the Channel that the EU and the UK need each other more than ever to uphold European values and strengthen the continent’s security. In the meantime, the UK has also changed government and now has a Labour government with more political wiggle room to engage with European partners.

Getting the UK on board in EU security cooperation is important for all EU Member States, but particularly for large security contributors, such as Germany. As the two largest European defence spenders in NATO and the top two European supporters of Ukraine in absolute financial terms, the UK is an important partner to shoulder the European security burden. Together with France, they are expected to do the heavy lifting in shaping a new European security architecture, and they can only do it together.

Security and Defence Partnership – what does it cover?

As a sign of the more constructive approach from both sides, European and British political leaders met in London on 19 May to conclude a new Strategic Partnership. Alongside agreements on food exports and fishing rights, they agreed on a Security and Defence Partnership as a central component of the new relationship.

Both sides agreed to enhance coordination on support for Ukraine, sanctions, information sharing and space. Moreover, there will be half-yearly meetings between senior representatives from the UK and the EU to deepen their cooperation on security and defence-related issues. This includes boosting ties in crucial areas like:

• Peacebuilding, common security and defence policy
• Civilian and military crisis management
• Maritime security, space security and cyber issues

Additionally, both parties signed up to further exchange on countering hybrid threats, fighting foreign disinformation and preventing violent extremism.

Turning words into action

Despite progress on the broader security cooperation, there are also important elements missing. Most notably, there is a lack of detail on one of the most important challenges for Europe: boosting the defence industry. Although the European Commission has suggested that the UK can access its brand-new SAFE (Security Action for Europe) instrument, this is far from a done deal. SAFE provides up to 150 billion EUR in loans to Member States to procure weapons systems, but it contains limits on the purchase of goods and components from outside the EU.

Despite the UK being a third country, it is eager to gain access to the programme for its defence industry. From a German and EU point of view, having the UK join could also benefit the pace of Europe’s rearmament. The British defence industry is deeply embedded in European supply chains and including them in SAFE would help scale up industrial capacity faster.  

In the partnership text, both sides agreed to “swiftly explore” the potential for the UK to access the SAFE programme, but the Member States do expect the Brits to pay a price. The size of these financial contributions will be the main subject of the next round of negotiations, which, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is expected to start in a matter of weeks.

As the strengthening of defence industry collaboration is one of the most important issues surrounding EU-UK security cooperation, the overall agreement is a good starting point, with much more work to be done. This sentiment was also expressed by UK Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey, who called the agreement "a major win for our nation's security”, but also pushed for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to turn "fine words" into actions. The Liberal Democrats party called for an EU-UK defence and security agreement in its July 2024 General Election manifesto and has since continued to push the UK government to foster a closer relationship with Europe on defence.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the Chair of the European Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee, had a similar analysis and commented:

“This agreement is a step in the right direction – towards greater cooperation, more stability, and a strong European alliance that reaches beyond institutional boundaries.”

Both in the EU and the UK, liberal stakeholders recognise the potential of the partnership as a basis for deeper cooperation in the future. However, they also indicate that, given the challenges and uncertainties that Europe finds itself in, it is important to fill the promising words with real meaning as soon as possible. The negotiations on SAFE will be an indicator of the real commitment of both partners to strengthening Europe’s security. If successful, we can expect many more steps in the right direction.