A clear message emerged from the discussions: strong EU-UK ties matter more than ever. As highlighted by Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and Europe Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, both sides are committed to building a forward-looking and reliable partnership that delivers for citizens.

Advancing cooperation across key areas

The Assembly reviewed the state of play in EU-UK cooperation, with a focus on strengthening collaboration in areas such as economic and energy security, trade resilience, and defence industrial cooperation.

Discussions throughout the two days featured contributions from senior EU and UK representatives, including Raffaele Fitto and UK Ambassador to the EU Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby, who addressed the local and regional dimensions of EU-UK relations.

Economic security and trade resilience were explored with UK Minister of State for Trade Chris Bryant and European Commission trade official Dennis Redonnet. Security and defence cooperation were discussed with Stephen Doughty and Tomasz Husak.

Building momentum towards deeper partnership

The co-chairs of the Assembly, Sandro Gozi and Marsha de Cordova, welcomed the progress made in deepening EU-UK cooperation. They noted ongoing discussions on key initiatives, including agreements on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, a youth experience scheme, and the linking of Emissions Trading Systems. They also expressed hope for swift progress on UK participation in the EU's internal electricity market.

At the same time, they stressed that political will must now translate into tangible outcomes, underlining the importance of maintaining momentum following the EU-UK Summit of May 2025. They also called for stronger parliamentary involvement in future summits to ensure democratic accountability.

A shared commitment to cooperation

As Sandro Gozi, co-chair of the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, noted:

"Neither the EU nor the UK can achieve their objectives in isolation, be it on economic security and resilience, sustainable growth, or ensuring a secure and democratic Europe. It is clear that the EU and the UK are natural partners, and it is very motivating to see that we are working side by side, discussing and identifying concrete steps to deepen our partnership."

Marsha de Cordova, co-chair of the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, underlined the productive nature of the meeting:

"This year marks the seventh Parliamentary Partnership Assembly and, in many ways, it was one of our most productive meetings yet. With European Parliamentarians, we've found many areas of consensus that will help protect our shared security and build prosperity and peace for our mutual benefit. Now more than ever we need a strong, positive and cooperative relationship with our European neighbours - I'm pleased that the PPA continues to play its part in renewing this relationship".