Committees

How do the UK and Europe respond to the challenges ahead? Foreign Affairs Committee launches inquiry into UK-EU reset

7 March 2025

The Foreign Affairs Committee today launches an inquiry into the Government’s proposed UK-EU “reset”.

The UK’s existing relationship with the European Union provides no formal mechanism to engage and coordinate action on pressing shared challenges. Various limitations in the current economic relationship have also been identified that act as a barrier to trade in goods and services.  

This inquiry will examine the “reset” across the three policy pillars identified by Government: security, safety and prosperity. It will ask what the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s role is in shaping the UK-EU reset and how this is married with the need for a whole-of-government approach.  

The inquiry will ask what the long-term strategic objectives are in the reset and what frameworks and agreements might be needed to support a strategic partnership between the UK and EU.

The deadline for submitting written evidence is Tuesday 8 April 2025.                                                                                  

The Committee welcomes written evidence that responds to one or more of the following questions: 

  • What would a positive outcome to the 19 May UK-EU Summit look like for the UK? Which policy areas are the most contentious for the UK? For the EU? How can these different ‘asks’ be accommodated? 
  • Is the current Machinery of Government set-up the most efficient way to deliver the reset? How should trade-offs between different policy areas be managed?   
  • Has the Government clearly articulated a whole-of-government approach to the negotiations? Are there any policy areas that have not been included but should be that should be included?   
  • What role should the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office play in supporting the reset? Are UK embassies in EU Member States, resourced and equipped to support this process?  
  • What are the Government’s long-term strategic objectives for the UK-EU relationship in security and defence?   
  • How can the UK and EU manage the immediate shared challenges in Ukraine and the Middle East?  
  • What, if any, new frameworks or agreements are needed to support a UK-EU strategic partnership? Is a non-binding Security and Defence Partnership in the form of an MoU sufficient, or should the UK pursue a formal Security and Defence agreement is a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding sufficient?   
  • What are the Government’s long-term strategic objectives for the UK-EU relationship on economic security?  
  • How can the UK maintain strong relations with the US and EU when their respective positions are at odds? How can it best balance these relationships?   
  • Could UK divergence from the EU’s approach to ‘de-risking’ its economic relationship with China affect the UK-EU reset, and if so how?  

Each submission should be no longer than 3,000 words and contain a brief introduction about the author. Submissions should be in malleable format such as MS Word (not PDFs) with no use of colour, logos or photos. Further guidance is available on our Written Evidence Guidance.   

Further information

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