UK-EU integration – a view from Brussels

In the ten years since the UK left the European Union, it’s safe to say there have been many bumps in the road. Although no one is entirely sure of the end destination, the direction of travel is now much clearer, and very much welcomed here in Brussels.

As CEO of SEC Newgate EU, I speak daily to clients, policy makers and politicians. What is obvious to me from those conversations is the tangible desire for the UK and the EU to move closer together.  

There has been mood music in the background for a while about warming relations, but in recent weeks that music has been turned up, with clear public statements of intent from the UK government. The EU has responded in kind. Just this week UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the EU’s trade and economy chiefs, Maroš Šefčovič and Valdis Dombrovskis, met in Downing Street. Afterwards Dombrovskis said the EU is "ready to engage" in negotiations on reintegrating the UK into a customs union.

This mood music is being even further amplified by the Brussels media, who have very visibly woken up to the recent developments. Journalists and contributors from outlets such as Politico, Euractiv, Euronews, Bloomberg and even The Brussels Times are now competing for the latest nuanced developments in the Brexit thaw.

At the end of the day, organisations and companies just want to be able to conduct their operations as simply and cost effectively as possible and bring the benefits to their customers and the community. The last decade has not helped that.

The case for stronger economic ties is now clear and is being enthusiastically embraced here in Brussels. The closer cooperation and formalisation of relations extend not just to business and trade but also to defence and security. 

Defence has historically been a touchy subject in the EU. But the chaotic events of the last few years and shifting geopolitical relationships have put it front and centre in the minds of both policy makers and the public. Last weekend, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer reiterated his view that the EU and the UK should work more closely together on defence, and it’s understood that EU officials are trying to include UK defence companies in their plans for military assistance for Ukraine.

European defence cooperation is now seen as crucial to safeguarding our livelihoods, our economies and our democracies - our way of life. 

It is therefore up to every one of us to keep our fingers on the pulse, expand our networks and think creatively. Events are moving fast and we need to be ahead of the game. I am confident that we will be.