A recent Parliamentary Partnership Assembly in London underlined the potential for the EU and UK to work more closely together on issues like security and trade. Vera Spyrakou writes that a new EU-UK relationship is now emerging that focuses on pragmatic cooperation rather than integration, though without excluding a future integration settlement.
On 17 November, 25 Members of the European Parliament arrived in London for the 6th meeting of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA), a forum established by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement to maintain parliamentary dialogue after Brexit.
The meeting focused on key issues like security cooperation, the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) fund, digital regulation and cultural exchanges, underscoring how the post-Brexit relationship between the EU and the UK is gradually transitioning toward a new political settlement. While Brexit remains a contentious issue in the UK for institutional, legal and identity reasons, the PPA meeting highlighted a shift in focus.
Pragmatic cooperation is replacing the binary “leave” versus “remain” politics, as both sides confront shared challenges in areas like security, trade and technology. The emerging settlement involves collaboration in ways that transcend political integration, driven by economic necessity and mutual benefit. This shift is evident so far in key areas such as security cooperation and cultural and creative exchanges.
The social reality of Brexit
At the core of the ongoing Brexit debate is the notion of sovereignty versus cooperation. Former UK Prime Minister Sir John Major recently reignited discussions about Brexit’s long-term ramifications, calling it an “act of collective folly” during his Maurice Fraser Annual Lecture at LSE.
Major’s comments resonate with many Britons who see Brexit as a self-inflicted blow to the UK’s economic prosperity, global influence and social cohesion. For Major, Brexit was not just an economic decision but a political misstep that has left the country adrift. He warned that the consequences of this decision would be felt for generations.
However, Major’s critique fits into a larger pattern of disillusionment that has emerged among the British public in the aftermath of Brexit. This sense of regret has contributed to the growing trend of emigration from the UK.
The reasons behind this trend are multifaceted. Many Britons are choosing to move to EU countries, citing taxation policies, the weather and, of course, the economic impact of Brexit. The sharp rise in living costs, coupled with uncertainty around post-Brexit regulations, has left many feeling that their quality of life would be better in the EU.
The fact that so many Britons are voting with their feet underscores the social reality of Brexit: the country’s political choices have created a climate where many feel their prospects are better elsewhere. This growing trend of emigration represents not just a flight for better living conditions but a broader indictment of the Brexit experiment.
The new political settlement – functional, not federal
The PPA meeting also underscored the growing trend of functional cooperation replacing the politics of full integration. While the UK has formally left the EU, the two sides continue to collaborate on areas where their interests align. The shift is visible in security, cultural exchanges and digital regulation, marking a new political settlement that is pragmatic and sectoral, not driven by political union.
The UK remains deeply involved in European affairs. This includes security cooperation and continued cooperation on defence and counterterrorism through mechanisms like the SAFE fund, which aims to reduce the financial burden of addressing shared security threats. By pooling resources and sharing intelligence, both the UK and EU can enhance their defence capabilities without duplicating efforts, leading to a more efficient use of funds while maintaining European stability.
There are also important cultural and creative exchanges taking place. Despite the challenges posed by Brexit, the UK and EU have worked to preserve student mobility and artistic collaborations, which contribute not only to cultural development but also to the economy.
Creative industries, including film, fashion and music, benefit significantly from cross-border partnerships, helping to sustain jobs, promote tourism and enhance global influence. These areas of cooperation, driven by shared challenges, highlight the functional rather than federal nature of the new settlement.
This shift toward a more pragmatic approach is not just a necessary adjustment but a positive development. Rather than striving for political union, which might have been an overly ambitious goal post-Brexit, both the EU and UK are focusing on what matters most: shared interests in security, trade and culture. This approach, while perhaps lacking the idealism of the EU’s original vision of integration, offers a realistic path forward, one that better aligns with the current political and economic landscape.
A model for future EU-UK relations?
The EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly plays a vital role in maintaining an open line of communication between the UK and the EU, focusing on functional cooperation and addressing issues that affect citizens on both sides of the Channel.
The PPA’s format – meeting twice a year in both London and Brussels – allows for ongoing engagement in areas of shared concern, helping to build a framework for continued collaboration on crucial issues that transcend political boundaries. At the same time, it is a bold reminder of how institutions can construct post-national social and political identities.
The 6th PPA meeting highlighted the emerging political settlement between the UK and the EU, one based on pragmatic, functional cooperation rather than full political integration. As issues like security, digital regulation and cultural exchange are addressed through sectoral agreements, the need for continued collaboration becomes evident, despite the UK’s decision to leave the EU.
At the same time, the social impact of Brexit, including the rising trend of Britons leaving the UK, underscores that the consequences of Brexit are not just political. The PPA’s role in maintaining communication between the two sides is essential to ensuring that cooperation continues on practical matters, even as Brexit reshapes the broader political landscape.
This pragmatic approach, rooted in functional cooperation, is both necessary and desirable. It represents a realistic solution to the complex, post-Brexit relationship between the UK and the EU. As both sides work toward a more pragmatic and cooperative future, the lessons of the past offer valuable insights into how to balance sovereignty with interdependence, ensuring that cooperation can thrive outside of political union but inside a new form of political co-existence.
Note: This article gives the views of the author, not the position of LSE European Politics or the London School of Economics.
Image credit: European Union.
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