Five and a half years after the entry into force of Brexit, the “great reset” in the relationships between the United Kingdom and the European Union has arrived. To sanction him was the London summit last Monday 19 May during which an agreement was signed that throws a new virtual bridge over the sleeve, overcoming the net break desired by Boris Johnson with the so -called “Brexit Dura”.

The new pact intertwines key interests on defense, safety, immigration, trade and mobility. At the center of the intensity, the access of the United Kingdom to the European Defense Fund (SAFE), worth 125 billion pounds, which allows EU Member States to pay up to 150 billion euros for military purchases. For Prime Minister Keir Starmer it is a key result, capable of giving new impetus to British companies in the sector.

What’s in the post Brexit agreement between Great Britain and the European Union

The agreement also promises to simplify agri -food exports, break down bureaucracy and make European products more accessible thanks to the elimination of routine controls on animal and plant assets. In return, London has accepted an alignment to EU standards.

However, London had to yield on other important fronts, in particular on the fishing rights and the rules for the sale of agricultural products. France has obtained a multi -year extension for access to British waters, well beyond the four years initially proposed. In addition, the fishing issue was strictly connected by the EU to the duration of the new health and phytosanitary rules (SPS).

The return of Arasmus beyond sleeve

The real symbolic novelty, however, is represented by the agreement on youth mobility. The new “Youth Experience” program will allow young people of the two sides of the sleeve to study, work, travel or volunteer for at least a year, with the promise to also evaluate the possible return of the United Kingdom in the Erasmus+program.

European students will again be able to access university fees reserved for the British, thus overcoming the marked drop in European enrollments that occurred after Brexit. A further success claimed from London is the restoration of access to Europol databases, allowing the British Ministry of Interior to consult crucial information for safety, with possible extension to the exchange of facial images to combat organized crime.

No longer ideological clash

For Keir Starmer it is the third international weight understanding, after those reached with the United States and India, and perhaps of the most symbolic ever. This new pact with the EU does not close the Brexit chapter, but marks an evident change of pace: no more ideological clash, but pragmatic dialogue. It is a concrete attempt to restore a functional and advantageous relationship for both sides, after years marked by tensions, misunderstandings and rigidity.

While remaining outside the EU, the United Kingdom now seeks a balance to return to European strategic circuits without sacrificing its political autonomy, thus trying to recover lost land also on an internal and international level.