Communiqués

The security of Europe and the UK are inseparably linked. Recent geopolitical developments, particularly Russia's continued war of aggression against Ukraine, highlight the need for stronger and more structured cooperation between European partners.

We welcome the unwavering commitment of the UK Government to European security and its steadfast support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The discussions at the Summit on Ukraine and Security in Europe on Monday 17 February reaffirmed the urgency of reinforcing our collective security efforts in the face of mounting threats. The unity demonstrated in supporting Ukraine must now be translated into deeper and more institutionalised cooperation between the EU and the UK.

However, the absence of a formal EU-UK agreement on security and defence remains a serious gap. While practical cooperation continues in some areas, a structured and ambitious partnership is necessary to ensure long-term strategic alignment. This should include reinforced intelligence sharing, joint operations, coordinated defence policies, and crisis management mechanisms. With the EU and UK increasing defence spending targets to meet critical capability shortfalls, this will also lead to the much needed strengthening of the defence technological and industrial base throughout Europe.

Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging digital technologies are now integral to modern defence strategies, requiring closer EU-UK collaboration to address hybrid threats, cyber warfare, and the resilience of critical infrastructure. In this context, a strengthened security and defence partnership must go hand in hand with deeper cooperation on innovation, technological development, and regulatory frameworks for AI and digital security. Ensuring interoperability, ethical AI governance, and robust cybersecurity standards will be key to maintaining our collective resilience and strategic advantage in an increasingly complex global landscape.

An ambitious EU-UK security and defence agreement would not only strengthen our collective ability to respond to evolving threats but also send a powerful message of European unity and resilience to the world. At a time when our adversaries seek to exploit divisions, reinforcing our partnership is both a strategic necessity and a moral obligation.

Europe and the UK stand stronger together. Now is the time to take decisive steps toward a comprehensive security partnership that reflects our shared interests and responsibilities.

Sandro GOZI - Chair of D-UK

Klára DOBREV - Vice-chair of D-UK

Mika AALTOLA - Vice-chair of D-UK

As bureau of the EU's delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (EU-UK PPA), we welcome:

• The establishment of the UK Delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly;
• Rachel Reeves' participation in the Eurogroup, marking an important step towards strengthening diplomatic and economic relations;
• The agreement to hold an EU-UK Summit in early 2025.

We call on the PPA to adopt concrete recommendations in preparation for this Summit. We also urge all parties to intensify efforts to improve relations, focusing on:

• Economic security and energy cooperation;
• Sanctions against Russia;
• Managing potential tariff conflicts with the United States;
• Broader geopolitical challenges;
• People-to-people contacts;
• Sustainable competitiveness;
• AI and digital challenges.

We remind the UK of its obligations to implement existing agreements.

Finally, we stress that this reset cannot be in name only. A sincere approach and concrete commitments are essential to translate ambitions into reality, ultimately benefitting the wellbeing of the citizens of the EU and the UK.

Sandro GOZI - Chair of D-UK

Klára DOBREV - Vice-chair of D-UK

Mika AALTOLA - Vice-chair of D-UK