The new UK-EU deal at a glance

Sam Francis

Political reporter

19 May 2025, 12:06 BST

Updated 10 minutes ago

The UK and the EU have reached a new deal setting out post-Brexit relations on areas including fishing rights, trade and defence.

The full details will be set out later.

But here's a look at what we know is in the deal.

Fishing

A new deal will keep the current status quo giving EU boats continued access to UK waters until 2038
The 2020 Brexit deal, which saw the UK regain 25% EU fishing quotas, was due to run out next year
The UK will continue to agree yearly quotas with the EU and Norway and issue licences to control who fishes in its waters
A £360m "fishing and coastal growth fund" to invest in new technology and equipment

In return for extending current fishing rules, the UK has secured a deal to reduce checks on food exports to the EU
The vast majority of routine border checks on animal and plant shipments to and from the EU will be dropped
The new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement means the UK can sell raw burgers and sausages back into the EU for the first time since Brexit
Under the deal the UK will be expected to follow EU rules it does not write – overseen by the European Court of Justice. But it can break away if it keeps similar standards and avoids harming EU trade

A formal UK-EU defence and security pact has been established
UK and EU officials will meet every six months to talk about defence and foreign policy
Both sides will coordinate on sanctions, share more information and develop a space-related security policy
The UK will join the EU's PESCO project on military mobility, aimed at speeding troop and equipment movement inside and outside the bloc
The government says the agreement "paves the way" for UK-based arms firms to access the Security Action for Europe (Safe) - a £150bn EU fund providing loans for defence projects

The UK and the EU have agreed to co-operate further on a "youth experience scheme" - but this will be subject to further negotiations
The government says such a scheme "could see young people able to work and travel freely in Europe again" but would be "capped and time-limited"
It says the idea would mirror existing schemes the UK has with countries like Australia and New Zealand, where there is an annual quota of visas allowing people between the ages of 18 and 35 to work in each other's countries for up to three years
The UK is also negotiating to rejoin the Erasmus+ programme, which allows students to study or do an internship abroad

British holidaymakers will be able to use e-gates at more European airports
When Brexit ended free movement, UK travellers were shut out from using EU e-gates. Now the EU Commission says the there is no legal barrier to stopping UK citizens using them after the roll-out of its long-awaited digital border checks system, which is due to come into effect in October
Each EU country still decides if UK citizens can use e-gates at its ports but the government has promised to work to expand access "as soon as possible"
A new passport system will make it easier for UK pets to travel, ending the need for repeat vet certificates

The UK and EU will link their carbon markets to avoid taxes on carbon-intensive goods like steel and cement travelling between the UK and EU
The government says it will save £800m in taxes and shield British steel from EU tariffs, thanks to a UK-only deal worth £25m a year
The UK will begin discussions on buying and selling directly into the EU's shared electricity market but the UK would have to follow EU rules to seal a deal

Do you have any questions about the EU UK agreement? Get in touch.