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

Background

Following Brexit, the EU and the UK continue to share a unique relationship rooted in common interests, values, perspectives, and ever-strong civil society ties. The EESC keeps playing its vital part via its EU-UK Follow-up Committee and with its role in the Domestic Advisory Group (DAG).

This opinion looks into the upcoming 2026 review of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) which provides the legal framework for bilateral trade, and whose implementation is monitored by civil society via the DAGs on both sides.

The TCA governs EU-UK trade now, maintaining tariff-free and quota-free exchanges but without the benefits of EU membership. The TCA review must not fall short of the views of organised civil society, primarily conveyed by the DAGs, whose members are best placed to flag TCA implementation issues and looming risks, and highlight the areas of improvement.

The opinion welcomes the outcomes of the 19 May 2025 EU-UK summit, but it calls for prompt action to implement them and to keep up the momentum – for the TCA review and beyond.

Key points

In the opinion the EESC:

• provides guidance for an ambitious TCA review, recommending integral roles for EU and UK DAGs due to their practical insights and experience of the agreement's impacts;
• calls for an enhanced regulatory cooperation on non-tariff barriers which will provide the biggest opportunity to improve the bilateral trade relations – closer alignment of regulatory systems reduces frictions and yields considerable benefits;
• calls for mutual recognition of standards and improved mobility for services to reduce border friction, lower trading costs, and boost fair market access, growth and job creation on both sides;
• insists on a ‘future-proof TCA’ by incorporating the youth perspective, progressively removing barriers to seizing new opportunities.

Additional Information

EESC section: External Relations (REX)

Opinion number: REX/600-EESC-2025

Opinion type: Own-initiative opinion

Rapporteur: Tanja BUZEK, (Workers - GR II/Germany), co-rapporteur: Peter BYRNE, (Employers - GR I/Ireland)

Date of adoption by the section: 12/06/2025

Date of adoption in plenary: 16-17 July 2025

Result of the vote in plenary: ……. in favour/……. against/…… abstentions

Contact

Millie Tsoumani

Press Officer, Tel.: +32 (0) 2 546 9088, Email: amalia.tsoumani@eesc.europa.eu

Marco Ristori

Policy Officer, Tel.:+32 (2) 546 9969, Email: Marco.Ristori@eesc.europa.eu