Food standards top the agenda as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham prepares for the EU-UK summit in Brussels on November 20.
London and Brussels are discussing a closer partnership in security, industrial, and trade policy during the upcoming EU-London summit, The Epoch Times reported. Burnham and European Union leaders Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa may sign three agreements to reset bilateral relations.
“Nächste Woche könnte ein bedeutender Gewinn werden, wenn wir es schaffen, praktische Vereinbarungen zu treffen, mit denen unser Land besser dasteht,” Burnham told his cabinet in the run-up to the meeting.
The prime minister aims to simplify trade with the EU to stimulate the British economy and lower consumer costs. He believes a good agreement can be a win for both sides while reflecting the type of Brexit voters backed in 2016.
The first item on the agenda is a food standards agreement. Under this pact, Britain would recognize EU regulations on labeling, pesticide specifications, and animal welfare standards that were dropped after Brexit.
Removing these rules would eliminate cumbersome border checks. The British government expects many companies that abandoned their EU business after Brexit to resume selling products to the European mainland.
This proposal remains controversial within the UK, as Brussels regulations were a central argument for Brexit supporters in 2016. Burnham’s administration counters that the benefits for British firms far outweigh the drawbacks.
For the EU, the top negotiating priority is lowering UK tuition fees for young people from the bloc. Since Brexit, EU students have faced high surcharges alongside other international applicants.
Brussels wants equal treatment for EU students, though London has not yet yielded on the issue. Tuition fees form part of a second major agreement designed to ease youth mobility across the English Channel.
A draft of the summit declaration seen by Agence France-Presse proposes simpler three-year visas for young people to work, study, and travel. A third agreement focuses on industry through the linkage of the Emissions Trading Systems maintained by both sides.
The ETS caps carbon dioxide output for heavy industries like steel, power generation, and cement manufacturing. Companies purchase certificates for their emissions, and linking the systems would remove extra fees currently levied on British steel exporters sending goods to the EU.
Negotiations on all three agreements continue ahead of the summit. “Noch sei die „Choreografie“ unklar, wie die Vereinbarungen zusammenpassen,” an EU diplomat told AFP, noting that both sides are still pushing for their respective priorities.
London is also pressing for special treatment regarding “Made in Europe” quotas for public procurement and subsidies like electric vehicle incentives. Burnham wants the term to encompass Britain rather than strictly applying to EU member states.
While definitive commitments on procurement quotas are unlikely at the summit, closed-door negotiations are underway. Burnham intends to increase his diplomatic outreach to Brussels.
Opinion polls indicate that a majority of Britons now regret Brexit, though formal re-entry remains distant and contentious within the Labour Party. Cooperation on foreign policy, defense, and Ukraine support remains strong between the two governments.
“Die Signale von Burnham sind alle sehr positiv, auch wenn niemand glaubt, dass das Vereinigte Königreich zu unseren Lebzeiten wieder beitritt,” an EU diplomat told AFP.
