Starmer’s EU-UK ‘reset’ faces reality check after botched divorce

By Owen Morgan

As UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first official meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen takes place in Brussels on Wednesday, an unfamiliar optimism is in the air. 

But for all the pleasantries on both sides, we still lack details on what Starmer hopes to get out of his heavily trailed ‘reset’ of relations with his closest neighbours. 

Much of the speculation has centred on the trade dimension of the relationship, understandably so, given the hand the UK dealt itself with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) - one of the two core agreements, alongside the Withdrawal Agreement, that now govern the EU-UK relationship. 

From the City of London to what is left of the automotive industry to the small traders who once used Europe to scale up their businesses, no one in UK industry seems happy and everybody is seeking improvements. 

They might see a dimly lit path forward emerge tomorrow. Von der Leyen’s deputy, Maros Šefčovič, spoke of “advancing our joint agenda” following his meeting on Monday (30 September) with Nick Thomas-Symonds, the UK minister for EU relations.  A Commission spokesperson told Euractiv the meeting marked "the beginning of a journey" towards closer cooperation.

But the Labour Party’s manifesto for the July UK general election, on which Starmer won a thumping 174-seat majority, offered little on the destination of that journey, save for the obvious fertile ground of defence cooperation. 

Read our latest defence news on Mark Rutte becoming head of NATO:

When Dutchman Mark Rutte takes over as NATO’s secretary general on Tuesday (1 October), his first five tasks may be obvious and unsurprising, but they will not be easy to navigate.

The former Dutch Prime minister, who proudly called himself a frugal, insisted countries must spend more in his first remarks as NATO head on Tuesday (1 October), putting defence expenditure high on the list of priorities.

Support to Ukraine, revamping the club's collective defence mechanisms and spending increases remain key highlights of Jens Stoltenberg's ten years at the head of NATO, as on Tuesday (1 October), he handed over the reins to Mark Rutte.

In other news:

European Parliament committee chairs are expected to outline a plan for grilling candidates for the next European Commission at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday (1 October).

EU Prosecutor Laura Kövesi has called on Greek politicians to change a law that provides ministers with immunity, saying it goes against European law and prevented an EU investigation over a deadly train accident that cost the lives of 57 people.

Chairs of the European Parliament’s committees grappled with controlling hearings for the next crop of EU commissioners on Tuesday (1 October) while agreeing to propose two alternative timetables for the scrutiny hearings.

The Commission disclosed disagreements between general-purpose model providers and other stakeholders at the first Code of Practice plenary for general-purpose artificial intelligence (GPAI) on Monday (30 September).

The Netherlands' government and opposition are both abstaining from supporting the latest version of the controversial EU regulation aimed at detecting online child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to an official position and an open letter published on Tuesday (1 October).

Look out for…

• The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and European Committee of the Regions (CoR) organises a workshop in Brussels titled “Cybersecurity Days 2024 – Defend Today, Secure Tomorrow”
• The Representation of the State of Hesse, Germany, to the EU, organises a conference in Brussels titled "Clean Industrial Deal – Opportunities for Europe's Regions and Workforce"
• CEPS think tank organises a conference in Brussels titled “EU cohesion policy post-2027: why and how to enhance flexibility”.
• EPSF organises in Brussels a conference debate titled “Funding the Future of Europe – Celebrating the new Parliament 2024-2029”
• The weekly European Commission College meeting
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen receives the UK Prime Minister  Keir Starmer in Brussels, Belgium.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen receives the President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili.
• European Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen holds a press conference on building sustainable international partnerships, in Brussels Belgium.

[Edited by Rajnish Singh/Alice Taylor-Braçe]