Peers highlight security, defence and law enforcement issues ahead of UK-EU Summit
Wednesday 7 May 2025
The Lords European Affairs Committee has written to the European Union Relations Minister Rt Hon Nick Thomas–Symonds MP ahead of the UK-EU Summit on 19 May with a number of key points on security, defence and law enforcement that have emerged from the evidence in its ongoing inquiry into the UK-EU reset.
The cross-party Committee, chaired by Lord Peter Ricketts, notes that the Summit will be dealing with a wide range of trade, economic and people-to-people issues which are of strategic importance to both sides. It recognises that decisions taken at the Summit will mark the start of a process of detailed negotiations.
The evidence the Committee has received suggests a key issue will be whether the UK and EU can develop a strategic framework for European defence and security cooperation which would enable them to work together as equals.
The Committee also highlights press reports that the EU has indicated the UK will continue to be excluded from the Schengen Information System II (which allows the sharing of real-time data on persons and objects of interest), and expresses hope that the Government will return to the issue.
The Committee, which is the only Parliamentary committee dedicated to scrutinising EU-UK relations, launched its inquiry into the UK-EU reset in January and is expected to publish its report with conclusions and recommendations later this year.
