[1/3]Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer shakes hands with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 2, 2024. BENJAMIN CREMEL/Pool via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
“Tone does matter. Resetting does matter, and that has been a very important part of the message,” he said.
WARMER TONE
Von der Leyen said Britain and the EU’s “alignment on global affairs” provided a good foundation for bilateral relations, emphasising broad agreement between the two on European security concerns and climate change.
“We should explore the scope for more co-operation, while we focus on the full and faithful implementation of the withdrawal agreement,” she said after greeting Starmer.
Starmer has ruled out any return to the EU’s single market, its customs union or freedom of movement arrangements.
But he has pledged to seek a new veterinary agreement aimed at reducing border checks and also wants the mutual recognition of certain professional qualifications, and easier access to the EU for artists on tour.
While Starmer’s warmer tone has been welcomed by EU leaders, both sides have recognised that changes in the substance of the relationship will be subject to tough negotiation, even if the main tenets of the Brexit settlement are not touched.
Starmer has said there are no plans for a youth mobility scheme, rejecting an EU proposal to allow 18 to 30-year-old EU citizens to live in Britain and young Britons to stay in the EU for up to four years.
Youth mobility is a key EU demand and London’s acceptance, perhaps in a watered-down form, may be a condition for moving forward on Britain’s wish list.
Starmer declined to answer questions on details of differences in stance on areas like youth mobility or fishing, saying a much more constructive approach than his predecessors “doesn’t mean that challenges aren’t there”.
“It doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy,” he said.
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Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels and Alistair Smout in London; additional reporting by Muvija M in London; Editing by Gareth Jones, Angus MacSwan and Jan Harvey
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Source link : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/uk-pm-starmer-heads-brussels-first-conversation-eu-reset-2024-10-01/
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Publish date : 2024-10-02 07:00:00
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