UK's bilateral strategy

Eight years after the UK voted to leave the European Union and with elections in the UK imminent, this new report looks at relations between the UK and its neighbours. Experts from across Europe reflect on the impact of Brexit on perceptions of the UK, how bilateral relations have developed since 2020, and what might change bilaterally and in the UK’s relationship with the EU after the UK elections.

The UK and its neighbours: views across Europe

In this comment piece for Encompass online magazine, Cleo Davies and Hussein Kassim reflect on what the bilateral agreements between the UK and EU member states since Brexit mean for UK relations with its neighbours.

What strategy for the UK’s bilaterals with EU member states?​

Since it left the EU, the UK has signed multiple bilateral declarations and statements with EU member states. Although they have received less attention than the UK’s renegotiated trade deals, they form an important element of the UK’s post-Brexit diplomatic strategy and are featured in the UK government’s recent Integrated Review Refresh. This working paper offers a provisional examination of these agreements. It looks at their interaction with the WA and the TCA, assesses their significance, and discusses what they signal about the opportunities available to the UK for forging bilateral ties as a third country.

UK Bilaterals with EU member states since Brexit​