The United Kingdom and the European Union have reached a landmark post-Brexit “reset” trade deal after months of negotiations, covering critical areas including fishing rights, trade, defense, and border controls. According to Sky News, the agreement extends EU fishing vessels’ access to UK waters for 12 years while reducing red tape on food exports to the EU, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer declaring “Britain is back” as both sides aim to move beyond previous Brexit disputes.
The deal extends EU fishing fleets’ access to British waters until June 30, 2038, maintaining the current quotas with no reduction in British shares or increase in EU catch allowances. This represents a significant concession from the UK, allowing European vessels to retain 75% of their pre-Brexit fishing rights for an additional 12 years beyond the original 2026 expiration date. In exchange, Britain secured an unlimited-duration Swiss-style agreement on food and veterinary standards that will simplify customs checks, potentially lowering food prices and enhancing UK exports to European markets.
The fishing extension has sparked controversy, with the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation calling it “disastrous” and accusing Sir Keir Starmer of “sacrificing” the industry. Scottish Conservative MP Harriet Cross described it as “one of the biggest acts of betrayal” for the fishing industry, while government ministers defend the arrangement as part of a pragmatic approach that serves the national interest by improving overall trade relations. The agreement effectively binds future UK governments to these fishing terms until 2038, eliminating what critics call negotiating “leverage” for future discussions with the EU.
British travelers will soon enjoy expedited border crossings at European airports as part of the UK-EU reset agreement, which grants UK passport holders access to automated eGates throughout the European Union. Since Brexit, British citizens have been classified as “visa-exempt third-country nationals,” forcing them to use slower “other nations” queues and undergo manual passport checks and stamps at most EU airports. The new arrangement aims to end what the government calls “the dreaded queues at border control,” significantly reducing waiting times for the millions of Britons traveling to Europe annually.
The eGate access is expected to be fully implemented following the launch of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) in October 2025. This new system will replace traditional passport stamping with biometric data collection, requiring UK travelers to submit facial biometrics and fingerprints upon their first entry to the Schengen area. While some European airports like Rome’s Fiumicino, Amsterdam Schiphol, and certain locations in Portugal and Spain already permit UK passport holders to use eGates, the agreement will standardize this access across the EU, creating a more consistent travel experience.
The UK government is seeking to rejoin the EU pet passport scheme as part of its Brexit reset negotiations, aiming to eliminate the costly and cumbersome post-Brexit requirements for pet travel. Since January 2021, British pet owners have been forced to obtain Animal Health Certificates (AHCs) for each EU trip, costing up to £200, along with microchipping, rabies vaccinations, and tapeworm treatments for dogs traveling to certain countries. The EU pet passport, by contrast, is valid for life as long as rabies vaccinations remain current.
This potential agreement is expected to be discussed during the EU-UK summit in London on May 20, 2025, with sources indicating it may be linked to broader negotiations on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards. The UK’s negotiating position acknowledges that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,” suggesting the pet passport restoration could be tied to concessions on fisheries policy. If successful, the move would benefit approximately 250,000 British pet owners who traveled annually to the EU before Brexit, significantly reducing both costs and administrative burdens for cross-border pet travel.
Photo Credit: UK government flickr https://flic.kr/p/2r5wAVR (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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