Joint Committee Meets; Positive Tone But Several Issues Risk Flare-Up

Representatives from the European Union and United Kingdom held a meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) Partnership Council, the main regular forum for discussing issues between the two sides following the UK's exit from the EU. Ajoint statement released after the meeting took a generally positive tone, talking up the implementation of the Windsor Framework in Northern Ireland, cooperation in green tech development, and cyber-terrorism and security.

• Following the meeting, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron posted on X that "The UK and EU share a close and pragmatic partnership, addressing shared challenges together...We talked about maximising opportunities in our Trade & Cooperation Agreement, tackling illegal migration and progressing negotiations on Gibraltar."
• While the tone of conversation between Brussels and Westminster is more positive now than at any point since the UK left the Union, there remain a number of issues that could derail this improvement. Divisions over fisheries, the status of Gibraltar vis-a-vis the EU, and Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland migration, could risk a flare-up, especially as the UK general election approaches (likely in autumn 2024).
• European Commission Exec VP Maros Sefcovic will hold a press point following the talks at 1800CET (1700BST).