Changes from plenary report to adopted text

AA. whereas easy, efficient and affordable road, rail, maritime and air transport between the EU and the UK is of crucial importance, with a view to ensuring a high level of mobility for the many citizens of EU Member States living and working in the UK, and also for UK citizens travelling to the EU as tourists;

AB. whereas it is the general assessment of the Commission that the TCA is a modern and comprehensive agreement, reflecting the EU’s interests on trade and cooperation, while, at the same time, preserving the red lines that were established by the EU institutions and the Member States during the UK’s withdrawal process; whereas for the years 2021 to 2024, the Commission, in its annual implementation reports, established that, overall, the trade arrangements for goods and services established in the TCA have functioned well, despite some implementation issues;

AC. whereas under the TCA, service suppliers or investors from the EU must not be treated any less favourably than UK operators in the UK and vice versa; whereas the non-discrimination principle applies to a wide range of economic activities, including the provision of services, the establishment of businesses and the protection of intellectual property rights;

AD. whereas the UK applies its sponsorship system for work visas to EU service providers, and as a result, a UK employer wanting to employ an EU worker needs to be licenced by the UK Home Office and then assign a certificate of sponsorship to the EU worker, and pays fees for that worker to be able to apply for a visa (with the worker also incurring additional fees); whereas these restrictions also affect intermediary and cultural organisations such as foundations and public institutes that provide public-interest services, and whereas greater facilitation is needed in this regard; whereas this creates additional burdens that may favour UK operators;

AE. whereas UK public procurement markets remain open to EU bidders and vice versa on an equal footing; whereas both parties must ensure that the procurement process is fair, transparent and open to competition; whereas the UK and the EU have also agreed to maintain their existing procurement commitments under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement, which further opens up their public procurement markets to businesses from other countries;

AF. whereas the TCA is the only free trade agreement concluded by the EU establishing zero tariffs and zero quotas on all goods that comply with the appropriate rules of origin; whereas trade statistics for the period since the TCA’s entry into force demonstrate that trade flows between the EU and the UK have been negatively impacted by the UK’s withdrawal; whereas trade between the UK and the EU in goods has remained stagnant; whereas the year 2024 confirmed that the EU’s trade in goods and services with other trading partners has grown significantly more than its trade with the UK over a comparable period;

AG. whereas SPS checks and the reintroduction of customs formalities have disrupted the export of perishable goods, leading to increased waste and financial losses as well as diminished movement and availability of products not only between the EU and the UK, but also between Great Britain and Northern Ireland;

AH. whereas at the EU-UK Summit, while the UK reaffirmed its position on not rejoining the EU Customs Union, both parties expressed their intent to streamline customs procedures to reduce operational delays and costs and to work towards the establishment of a common SPS area;

AI. whereas the TCA encompasses several commitments pertinent to e-commerce, such as the prohibition of customs duties on electronic transmissions; whereas the promotion of cooperation on regulatory issues, including on emerging technologies as well as mechanisms that facilitate data transfers, is essential for e-commerce operations; whereas practical challenges have emerged in the implementation of the TCA and as a result of the large increase in e-commerce transactions in recent times, impacting businesses and consumers on both sides of the English Channel; whereas both the EU and the UK have signed the WTO Joint Initiative on e-commerce;

AJ. whereas, for the further implementation of the TCA, particular monitoring efforts should be focused on the risk of further regulatory divergences; whereas comprehensive regulatory cooperation between the parties is of the utmost importance; whereas it is a positive sign that only two relevant official complaints were received from stakeholders about the implementation of the TCA through the Commission’s online tool during 2024; whereas the European institutions continue to engage regularly with stakeholders to discuss the practical aspects of the implementation of the TCA;

AK. whereas regulatory divergence between the EU and the UK in the field of public health has increased since Brexit, with implications for medicine authorisation processes, cross-border supply chains and access to critical treatments; whereas this divergence has already contributed to medicine shortages and increased importation costs, particularly affecting smaller Member States and regions; whereas the TCA provides only limited mechanisms for health cooperation, highlighting the need for sustained regulatory alignment, structured data sharing and joint emergency preparedness to ensure equitable access to safe and effective medicines across both jurisdictions;

AL. whereas on 8 May 2025, the UK and the United States reached an agreement on a US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal; whereas such agreements may have an impact on the level playing field established between the EU and the UK in the context of the TCA and could result in further regulatory divergence from EU standards, particularly in areas such as food safety, digital services and labour protections; whereas the EU must ensure that any such divergence does not undermine the level playing field established under the TCA or weaken the integrity of the EU single market; whereas, in that regard, particular attention should be paid to the planned EU-UK common SPS area;

AM. whereas both EU and UK consumers would benefit from strengthened cooperation between the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority; whereas, in line with Article 211(1) of the TCA, the EU and the UK have agreed to cooperate on various aspects of digital trade regulation; whereas addressing the challenges arising from the existence of two separate customs markets requires constructive engagement and timely information sharing between EU and UK customs authorities, particularly in the implementation of new obligations;

AN. whereas, in terms of the EU’s internal implementation process of the TCA, the EU co-legislators completed the necessary regulatory framework by adopting Regulation (EU) 2023/657 of 15 March 2023 laying down rules for the exercise of the Union’s rights in the implementation and enforcement of the Withdrawal Agreement and the TCA;

AO. whereas the EU and the UK share common ambitions in the fields of environmental protection, climate and food safety; whereas increasing regulatory divergence in these areas risks disrupting trade and undermining the effectiveness of environmental and climate efforts, particularly in the context of Northern Ireland and Ireland; whereas in 2024, the UK Government called for a ‘reset’ in relations to strengthen strategic cooperation and regulatory alignment in response to shared challenges and mutual priorities;

AP. whereas the Commission and the UK, in the context of the EU-UK Summit, have explored areas with the potential to strengthen bilateral cooperation and have committed to work towards the establishment of a common SPS area to facilitate agri-food trade; whereas the EU and the UK also committed to work towards linking their respective Emissions Trading Systems (ETS) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM);

AQ. whereas the TCA provides for social security coordination to protect the social security rights of people moving between the EU and the UK after 1 January 2021; whereas it also provides for a level playing field to ensure fair competition by maintaining high levels of protection in a number of areas, including social and labour rights, with binding enforcement and dispute settlement mechanisms to ensure compliance;

AR. whereas the fundamental rights to organise, collectively bargain and take collective action are enshrined in international law and inherent to ensuring sustainable development and a level playing field, as set out in the TCA;

AS. whereas the UK’s Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 received royal assent on 29 June 2023; whereas this act revoked certain retained EU laws by the end of 2023 and removed the special status of all retained EU law in the UK’s legal order; whereas the act delegated significant powers to the UK authorities to revoke, amend or modify retained EU laws;

AT. whereas the freedom of movement of workers constitutes a fundamental right in the EU; whereas the EU and the UK have a long-standing record when it comes to mobility of workers and vocational education and training students; whereas Erasmus+ has long been an important instrument in this regard; whereas the agreement between the EU and the UK to work towards the UK’s association with the Erasmus+ programme to expand educational, professional and cultural opportunities for young people is welcome; whereas enhancing the mobility of workers between the EU and the UK could help address labour shortages; whereas there is a need for a comprehensive EU-UK mobility agreement that ensures the protection of workers’ rights and the cross-border movement of workers;

AU. whereas the UK is not associated to the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ programme, the 2021-2027 European Solidarity Corps programme or the 2021-2027 Creative Europe programme;

AV. whereas the cultural and creative sectors are not included in the TCA, which mentions the term ‘education’ only in relation to cybersecurity and the need to educate citizens on related challenges;

AW. whereas, as a consequence of Brexit, EU citizens studying in the UK are no longer entitled to ‘home fees’, requiring them to pay higher international student fees; whereas this change makes it prohibitively expensive to study in the UK, penalising young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, in particular, as there is no price cap on tuition fees for international students;

AX. whereas the Turing Scheme cannot be considered a replacement for the Erasmus+ programme, as it only finances outward mobility; whereas during the UK’s final year of Erasmus+ (2019-2020) the funding allocation to the UK was GBP 200 million, a larger sum than the GBP 110 million allocated for the Turing Scheme for 2022-2023;

AZ. whereas the number of EU students in the UK decreased from 66 685 in the academic year immediately before Brexit to 28 375 in the 2023-2024 academic year;

BA. whereas the Government of Wales has put in place the Taith international learning exchange programme to offer outward and inward student mobility, targeting under-represented groups and smaller organisations; whereas the Scottish Education Exchange Programme’s Test and Learn project has been introduced by the Scottish Government; whereas the Irish Government is funding Erasmus+ mobility for students from universities in Northern Ireland, irrespective of their nationality, by enrolling them in Irish universities for the duration of their exchange;

BB. whereas the UK’s International Education Strategy has set the objective of increasing the number of international students welcomed in UK higher education institutions each year from 400 000 to 600 000 by 2030;

BC. whereas the 2019 political declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the EU and the UK stated that ‘the Parties agree to consider conditions for entry and stay for purposes such as research, study, training and youth exchanges’; whereas youth exchanges were considered one of the main priorities for EU-UK relations during the meeting of the General Affairs Council of 17 December 2024;

BD. whereas UK artists and cultural workers are now subject to Schengen rules, which leads to difficulties such as significant cost increases and the need to obtain transport permits for equipment and cultural performance visas, when touring in various European countries in a short period of time;

BE. whereas the TCA applies a cultural exception that excludes audiovisual services from its scope, despite the EU and the UK sharing many of the same values in the fields of culture and education; whereas the UK remains a party to the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, and audiovisual works originating in the UK are considered ‘European works’ in accordance with Article 1(1)(n)(iii) of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive;

BF. whereas the conclusions of the EU-UK Summit mention working towards a future Youth Experience Scheme and UK re-association to the Erasmus+ programme, as well as cultural and artistic exchanges and touring artists;

BG. whereas since Brexit, EU sportspeople and athletes need a work permit to perform in the UK; whereas the TCA lacks any provisions linked to capacity-building of grassroots and professional organisations, partnerships and exchanges in the field of sports;

Main conclusions

1. Highlights that the EU and the UK are neighbours, close like-minded partners and allies, sharing common values, interests and historic bonds, facing a common volatile security situation in Europe and its neighbourhood; stresses that strengthening the EU-UK relationship contributes to enhancing Europe’s overall competitiveness and strategic autonomy;

2. Recognises the UK’s significant role in ensuring the peace, security and stability of the European continent and beyond; underlines that the growing number of conventional and hybrid threats requires strong and coordinated international action in order to secure our common future;

3. Recalls that the EU-UK relationship is based on full respect for, and the full, timely and faithful implementation of, the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the TCA;

4. Welcomes the ambitious conclusions of the first-ever EU-UK Summit held on 19 May 2025 in London and the positive and constructive spirit demonstrated by both sides; notes that the leaders concluded the Summit by adopting three key documents, namely the Joint Statement, the Security and Defence Partnership and the Common Understanding on a renewed agenda for European Union-United Kingdom cooperation; welcomes, in particular, the agreement on a new EU-UK Strategic Partnership, marking a renewal of mutual commitments and a deepening of bilateral cooperation, as well as the agreement to hold annual summits between the two parties;

5. Insists on the need for geographical coherence to ensure Europe’s peace, security and stability and the resilience of the European industrial base; highlights, in this regard, the EU-UK Summit as a milestone in relaunching and deepening the EU-UK partnership and as a starting point for more structured cooperation, in particular with the launch of the Security and Defence Partnership; considers that political declarations and good intentions must now be delivered on and insists on the need for both the EU and the UK to follow through and deliver on their commitments, in particular defence industrial actions;

6. Underlines that the TCA is one of the most ambitious and comprehensive trade agreements that the EU has concluded with a non-EU country; stresses, however, that while it does not and cannot be a substitute for EU membership and the benefits deriving from access to the single market and the Customs Union, it nonetheless holds significant potential for future cooperation, as demonstrated by the various commitments made at political level at the recent Summit; welcomes the shared commitment of the EU and the UK at the Summit to reaffirming their mutual dedication to free, fair, sustainable and open trade, in line with their common values;

7. Underlines the importance of fully implementing the provisions included in both agreements and assessing and addressing potential challenges in the application of the Withdrawal Agreement and the TCA as early as possible, in order to avoid delays and issues in their application;

8. Welcomes the fact that the implementation of the TCA continues to progress smoothly, with all commitments that were due in 2023 and 2024 either completed or on track; calls on the Commission to continue closely monitoring the correct application of the TCA;

9. Recalls the specific situation of Northern Ireland as a result of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, which was concluded in order to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU; supports the continued recognition of Northern Ireland’s unique and special position, with the country maintaining dual access to both the EU single market and the UK internal market, as outlined at the Summit; calls for the full, timely and faithful implementation of all components of the Windsor Framework in order to ensure lasting benefits, legal certainty, long-term stability, practical support and predictability for businesses and people in Northern Ireland, provide greater protection to the all-island economy, avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, safeguard the Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions, and ensure smooth trade and cooperation, while preserving the integrity of the single market and the Customs Union; calls for measures to prevent disruption to the close economic links between Ireland and Northern Ireland by any changes in regulatory or legal frameworks, particularly in respect of services provided to consumers and SMEs that cannot benefit from mobility; recalls that the EU has swiftly implemented all aspects of the Windsor Framework and now expects the UK to promptly fully and faithfully implement its part thereof to ensure the long-term stability of EU-UK relations; stresses that this includes effectively operationalising its customs and SPS mechanisms to address the challenges in the movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and avoid delivery disruptions and reduced product availability for consumers in Northern Ireland; calls for the full implementation of information-sharing mechanisms, and for better monitoring of new parcel processes and systems under the Windsor Framework and their impact on market access for consumers; notes that stronger cooperation between the authorities and the exchange of information on the future EU Data Hub would improve border crossings by providing the necessary data and documentation;

10. Underscores the historic importance of the Good Friday Agreement and commends all involved stakeholders for continuing to uphold and implement the Agreement and its values, as a critical pillar of the reconciliation processes that remain a positive example for others across the continent and beyond; recalls the UK’s binding commitment under Article 2 of the Windsor Framework to ensure no diminution of rights, safeguards or equality of opportunity as set out in the Good Friday Agreement; underlines that the effective protection of these rights is also essential to maintaining trust and cooperation under the TCA, particularly in areas such as law enforcement, labour rights and access to justice; calls on the Commission to continue monitoring compliance with this obligation and to engage with relevant UK authorities where risks of rights regression emerge; recalls that any amendments to the six EU equality directives listed in Annex 1 to the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement must be reflected in Northern Irish law to ensure the non-diminution of rights; calls on the Commission to appoint a dedicated liaison representative for Northern Ireland to ensure structured and continuous dialogue with political representatives and stakeholders so as to build trust and coordinate efforts; notes the particular need for the EU to engage with the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive with regard to issues covered by the Windsor Framework; calls, in this regard, for greater involvement of the UK devolved nations’ parliaments and assemblies, in particular that of Northern Ireland, in the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly so that the interests of people in Northern Ireland can be best articulated; calls for further efforts to enhance the democratic representation of birthright EU citizens living in Northern Ireland; further encourages the appropriate consultation of the devolved nations’ administrations in the EU-UK relationship, in line with their respective competences; notes that the unique situation of Northern Ireland requires a bespoke approach building on the benefits of the PEACE programmes, examining how wider cohesion policy can benefit the process of reconciliation; stresses that the application of the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to Northern Ireland is regrettable; calls on the UK Government to disapply the ETA to Northern Ireland in order to allow unhindered travel across the island of Ireland; highlights the importance of ensuring that there are no impediments or restrictions on the ability of individuals residing in Northern Ireland and Ireland to seek and take up employment across the border, in line with the principles of the Good Friday Agreement; stresses the importance of protecting cross-border workers in this context, including their social and labour rights; notes that the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal ruled the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 to be incompatible with human rights legislation and the Windsor Framework; further notes the inter-State application brought by Ireland against the UK concerning the Act; recalls the commitment by the current UK Government to repeal and replace the previous government’s Legacy Act and calls on the UK Government to do so as soon as possible; calls on the UK Government to withdraw its appeal against the court ruling on the Legacy Act, to repeal the Act and to fully comply with the European Court of Human Rights and all of its rulings;

11. Notes that, in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement, the constitutional future of Northern Ireland is to be decided by the people of the island of Ireland;

12. Calls on both parties to deepen the EU-UK partnership and fully implement the TCA and fully exploit its potential in areas of mutual interest, including through voluntary sectoral alignment, mutual recognition mechanisms and dialogue on regulatory innovation, and considering further cooperation on customs; welcomes the conclusions of the Summit, which reaffirmed a joint commitment to enhanced cooperation in key areas such as energy, including the possibility of the UK’s participation in the EU’s internal electricity market, new technologies and agri-food; underlines that the TCA offers a forward-looking framework to promote shared prosperity and competitiveness and encourages both parties to build on the renewed political momentum of the Summit to deliver tangible progress in these sectors and ensure the swift and comprehensive implementation of the commitments made, as expressed by the recent Common Understanding between the EU and the UK and the structured outcomes of the Summit; stresses that this new agenda must remain flexible and responsive to future challenges in order to maximise opportunities for cooperation and competitiveness, enhance consumer protection, improve cross-border trade and access to goods and services, and promote a safe and healthy digital environment for all;

13. Welcomes, in the light of the fact that the TCA does not include cooperation in the fields of foreign policy, security, defence and development cooperation, the agreement on a Security and Defence Partnership reached at the EU-UK Summit, which strengthens cooperation, aligns with the earlier establishment of the biannual Foreign Policy Dialogue, provides for a structured framework that is missing in the TCA, and establishes and shows the UK’s renewed commitment to engage with the EU on foreign policy and security;

14. Points out that enhanced coordination is essential for responding to global crises in the context of an increasingly volatile security environment marked by hybrid threats, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns; emphasises that enhanced coordination is also essential for promoting democracy and human rights, and ensuring regional and international security;

15. Welcomes the fact that the Security and Defence Partnership establishes more structured and institutionalised cooperation on foreign, security and defence matters at different levels of governance, aligned with the 2019 Political Declaration, including the agreement to hold foreign and security policy dialogues every six months; takes the view that this could form a solid basis for cooperation and that the possibility of institutionalising it by means of a legally binding instrument should be looked into; underscores that this would help ensure the security of our societies and make them resilient to common and unprecedented threats to geopolitical security, in particular the threat from Russia;

16. Stresses the need for the EU and the UK to closely monitor the implementation of the provisions of the Security and Defence Partnership and of the undertakings set out in the Common Understanding; recognises that the Common Understanding is extensive and wide-ranging in its commitments; recalls that Parliament must be informed of the steps and potential obstacles in its implementation; underlines that Parliament must hold the Commission fully accountable for delivering on its commitments under the Common Understanding agreed with the UK Government;

17. Welcomes the commitment by the EU and the UK to explore possibilities for mutually beneficial enhanced cooperation on the defence industry, respecting each party’s policy and legal frameworks;

Institutional framework

18. Welcomes the effective functioning of the TCA joint bodies; stresses the importance of keeping Parliament informed of and involved in ongoing political and technical discussions on a more regular basis; calls for greater transparency in the work of the TCA joint bodies, in particular towards Parliament; calls for stability in trade and regulatory harmonisation between the EU and the UK in order to protect consumer rights, business certainty and investment conditions, especially in the light of recent global disruptions;

19. Highlights the resumption of the EU-UK PPA in March 2025 after the 2024 European and UK elections; stresses its role in ensuring parliamentary oversight and scrutiny of the TCA implementation; underlines the value of the PPA in fostering closer ties and constructive cooperation between Members of the European Parliament and UK parliamentarians; calls on the Partnership Council to consider the recommendations of the PPA; emphasises the importance of broadening the participation of elected members from the parliaments and assemblies of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales as observers; recommends more frequent, thematic meetings beyond the current biannual schedule to allow for regular discussions on trade, foreign policy, energy and citizens’ rights; calls for better integration with national and regional parliaments in order to reflect diverse democratic perspectives; emphasises its commitment to further strengthening the PPA as a key forum for interparliamentary dialogue;

20. Stresses the need to keep the interests of citizens at the heart of the implementation of the TCA, and to accommodate in the dialogue elements of economic cooperation alongside social justice through the participation of voluntary groups, civil society and business associations; welcomes the engagement of civil society, including employers’ organisations and trade unions, as well as non-governmental organisations in the implementation of the TCA; highlights the balanced representation in the EU DAG and its valuable recommendations; stresses the importance of the Civil Society Forum in this regard; calls on the Partnership Council to continue considering the diverse views of civil society and for the PPA to enable direct exchange between PPA and DAG members at each of the PPA biannual meetings; calls on all specialised committees to strengthen the dialogue with the DAG to ensure better oversight and transparency; calls for additional efforts to be made to ensure that a wide range of civil society organisations, such as youth organisations, join the Civil Society Forum under the TCA;

21. Reaffirms the commitment of Parliament to closely monitor the implementation of the TCA; recalls that the Commission should provide Parliament with full and immediate information on the implementation of the TCA in order to ensure proper scrutiny; welcomes the continued good cooperation between Parliament and the Commission and the increased direct, positive and constructive contacts between Members of the European Parliament and members of both Houses of Parliament in the UK; reiterates its call for Parliament to be involved in any future review procedure for the TCA; regrets that Parliament was not involved in the EU-UK Summit and expresses concerns about the lack of any reference to the role of Parliament and the UK Parliament in the institutional framework of the renewed agenda for EU-UK cooperation, strategic partnership and security and defence partnership at the EU-UK Summit;

Trade in goods

22. Recalls that the TCA provides a comprehensive and ambitious basis for the relationship between the parties, in particular for EU-UK trade, while ensuring a level playing field for fair competition and sustainable development; recalls that the TCA is unique in the history of EU free trade agreements, as it focuses on limiting divergence rather than promoting convergence between trading partners; recalls that the TCA is also unique as it provides for zero tariffs and zero quotas for EU-UK trade;

23. Reiterates that the TCA is the delicate outcome of long and difficult negotiations and that it should therefore be fully implemented in good faith, as should the Withdrawal Agreement, in particular the Windsor Framework, for the mutual benefit of both parties; calls on both parties to make full use of the TCA’s huge potential to facilitate EU-UK trade to the greatest extent possible, while bearing in mind that the advantages of membership in terms of access to the EU single market and to the Customs Union, as well as of participation in other common and flanking policies, cannot, under any circumstances, be replicated through a free trade agreement; nevertheless, recognises that the TCA holds significant untapped potential and welcomes that it should now be used as a forward-looking framework for deepening cooperation in areas of mutual interest;

24. Takes note of the Commission’s assessment that overall, the arrangements regarding trade in goods established in the TCA have been effective and functioned smoothly, although certain implementation difficulties have persisted that require rectification as soon as possible;