Looking to the future of EU-UK relations: 2026 Review of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) from a civil society perspective

Key points

The EESC:

• highlights the unique nature of the EU-UK relationship beyond being the world’s second-largest trade partners, rooted in proximity, shared interests, and significant UK affiliate presence within major European civil society organisations;
• welcomes new opportunities from the political ‘reset’ of the first EU-UK summit, including deeper cooperation and dynamic alignment on standards, and calls for a dedicated EU-UK Social Dialogue Summit involving social partners in the deliberations;
• provides guidance for an ambitious TCA review beyond a mere scoping exercise, recommending integral roles for EU and UK Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) due to their practical insights and experience of the agreement's impacts;
• advocates enhanced regulatory cooperation on non-tariff barriers via a comprehensive Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, improved consumer rights enforcement, and mutual recognition of professional qualifications, chemical standards, and conformity assessments;
• urges improved mobility provisions for service providers to address current limitations, foster fair competition and better market access, ensuring high employment standards;
• recalls the closer alignment of regulatory systems reduces frictions and yields considerable benefits, calling for a dedicated divergence assessment unit and a shared EU-UK portal for regulatory information, particularly benefiting SMEs;
• underlines the importance of maintaining rights for Northern Ireland and enforcing non-regression and level playing field clauses within the TCA, encouraging regular dialogue and cooperation on workers' and environmental rights for continued progress and compliance;
• emphasises incorporating a youth perspective into future agreements, advocating UK participation in Erasmus+ and vocational learning and apprenticeship initiatives, ensuring quality conditions and opportunities for young people.

Annex to the opinion

Annex to the Own-Initiative Opinion on Looking to the Future of EU-UK Relations: 2026 Review of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) from a Civil Society Perspective