The United Kingdom and European Union have reached a deal on food, fishing access, defence, and UK travellers’ access to eGates. At a summit in London today, the new deal includes the announcement of a new security and defence partnership. The UK government said this will pave the way for the UK defence industry to participate in the EU’s proposed new 150 billion Euro Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund.
It said food and drink imports and exports between the UK and the EU will be made easier by a new SPS agreement. SPS stands for sanitary and phytosanitary, which refers to rules about animals and food. An agreement on fisheries allows EU fishermen to have access to British waters for an extended period of 12 years in exchange for the EU indefinitely easing red tape on food and drink imports and exports. The new agreement will also reduce red tape for businesses and help cut lorry queues at the border, it said. It said the agreements include a youth experience scheme and more access for British passport holders to automated controls at EU borders. The British government added that this agreement will have no time limit.
