UK-EU Summit: Brussels Greetings Deal as ‘new chapter’

“We are running a page,” said EU chef Ursula von der Leyen on Monday after the first top of the block with the UK since Brexit. “We open a new chapter.”

It is not the first page that was played in the period after the Brexit, but it is the most important.

The two parties have now concluded a deal that covers fish, trade, defense, energy and strengthening of ties in a number of policy areas that are still negotiating.

For Brussels, this negotiation was a chance to bring Britain – a large defense force – closer to a time of geopolitical turbulence.

And to tackle what some Member States see as annoying masks of Brexit.

For years there was a mentality “Don’t Touch It” when it came to a broad view of the Brexit settlement, according to an EU diplomat.

It all concerned “too much politics” with fears, it could all “go wrong.”

Don’t forget the 2023 Windsor Framework AgreementLondon and Brussels were stuck in a long -term dispute about trade arrangements for Noord -Ierland.

Subsequently, in 2024 a new government won the power in the UK -the more EU -friendly Labor party.

Civil servants in Brussels had long been annoyed-even-and-mistrust-with earlier conservative administrations, a party with a vocal Brexit-backing contingent.

Some Brexit supporters are now closing a deal that, according to them, comes down to a sale of sovereignty for EU bureaucrates.

However, diplomats in Brussels state that this is a “standardization” of the relations between neighbors that still look at the world in a broadly comparable way.

That said, there was clear satisfaction in EU circles about locking fishing quota for 12 years.

When I checked with one diplomat about that detail, they initially answered with a smiley face emoji.

Another said: “The deal is balanced – probably with favorable conditions for the EU – and simply shows that beautiful insulation is not an option in today’s climate.”

Of course, the EU will want to emphasize its “victories” in a negotiation with a former Member State that shook the block badly by leaving.

Nevertheless, coastal countries – in particular France – will be happy that they will not have to pass annual Visquota interviews for the time being.

The adjacent coastal states, in particular France, did not want to endure annual negotiations.

I was finally told, Quid Pro Quo. The EU received its fishing agreement. In exchange, it will be easier for British companies to export agri-food products, although that element has not been completed.

Also to iron are the Plans for Youth MobilitY – which allows young people to be able to study or work easier between Great -Britain and the EU.

That was a particularly important goal for countries such as Germany, which would like to win better access to an English -speaking country with prestigious universities.

Another important point for Berlin was the new Defense and Security partnership.

The full invasion of Russia in Ukraine and the unpredictable White House of Donald Trump have torn the rules for European security.

Time has been something of a healer – but the events of recent years have also created a sense of urgency.

Better ties with Great Britain, which remains a large defense player, is a no-brainer-now more than ever-for mainland Europe, because it tries to scale up investments and possibilities.

Nations such as Germany – who have only recently reached the 2% NATO expenses objective – are clearly aware that they have been exposed by the dramatic worldwide developments in recent years.

But of course the majority of this deal is in principle an agreement; A declaration of intent on issues that also ranging about cyber protection, energy and migration.

“I think it’s a good step,” another EU diplomat told me. “It is good to test the waters for practical cooperation and what can be done. Let’s take it from there.”

There is still a vigilant need in Brussels about the loading and division of Great Britain about relationships with the EU.

All details, which still have to be negotiated, can generate further political storms, whether on political compromises or costs.

This “reset” may not change the major basic principles of Brexit – the UK does not stay out of the internal market and customs union – but it is London and Brussels to talk much more while trying to fill the many gaps in this long list of ambitions.

That means that there will be a greater volume of diplomatic traffic between the UK and the EU in the future.

Doing more business with Brussels means inevitably talking more. In that respect today is just the beginning.