The UK and the EU face enormous common security and defence challenges. The threat from Russia’s revisionism, combined with Trump’s threats, means that Europeans urgently need to strengthen their defences. Yet, EU-UK co-operation in defence is underdeveloped – in fact the UK’s relationship to the EU in defence is currently more shallow than that of other major non-EU NATO allies like Norway or the US.
When the Labour government assumed office in July last year, it made strengthening relations with the EU in security and defence a priority in the context of the broader UK-EU reset. Yet, plans for a UK-EU security partnership have been slowed down by broader disagreements about UK-EU relations, including possible revisions or extensions of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) signed in 2020. These talks have been marked by disagreements over issues such as fishing quotas and youth mobility. This policy brief starts by setting out why UK-EU co-operation is a key building bloc of a stronger European security posture. It then takes stock of the reasons for the current lack of UK-EU defence co-operation, its risks and missed opportunities. Finally, it makes recommendations on how the EU and the UK should deepen co-operation.
About the Author
Luigi Scazzieri is assistant director of the Centre for European Reform.