Five European leaders have called for closer ties with the United Kingdom ahead of the long-awaited summit between the EU and the United Kingdom, reports UNN, citing The Guardian.
In a letter addressed to Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, the leaders of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Denmark said that deeper cooperation in clean energy would benefit both sides.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will meet with representatives of the United Kingdom in Brussels on November 20. The meeting is expected to result in the signing of agreements concerning trade in food and beverages, reducing carbon emissions, and youth exchanges.
These five countries are also calling for accelerated negotiations on another important issue—the United Kingdom’s return to the EU’s internal electricity market. “We call on you and the United Kingdom to agree on the next steps to conclude these negotiations at the summit,” says the letter seen by The Guardian. The document was signed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
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Calling the United Kingdom “a close partner in the transition to clean energy,” the leaders said that integrating the country into the EU’s internal electricity market is “a necessary condition for unlocking the full potential of the North Sea region and turning it into the world’s largest clean-energy hub.”
In addition
Earlier this year, the United Kingdom and nine other European countries reached an agreement aimed at accelerating the deployment of offshore wind farms in the 2030s and creating an energy network in the North Sea. The United Kingdom’s exit from the EU’s internal electricity market is believed to be holding back the development of the North Sea’s energy potential and leading to additional costs.
However, the publication notes that the United Kingdom’s return to the internal electricity market could become a subject of dispute, as the country would be required to contribute to the EU budget—notably to cohesion funds intended to promote economic development in less prosperous regions. British officials are wary of an agreement under which taxpayers’ money could be directed toward financing infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern European countries. Last year, negotiations on the United Kingdom joining the EU’s €150 billion (£125 billion) defence fund collapsed over a dispute concerning the size of the British contribution.
Seeking to avoid another conflict over financial issues, the countries participating in the North Sea agreement emphasize that the arrangement could provide British consumers with lower and more stable energy prices. “The United Kingdom would not simply contribute to the EU’s cohesion funds,” an EU diplomat said. “It would invest in gaining access to a more integrated, secure and competitive European energy market.
This would facilitate more efficient electricity trading, which, in turn, would lead to lower costs for British consumers.”
According to data from the industry organization Energy UK, published in 2024, if the current format of energy relations remains unchanged, the United Kingdom could incur additional costs of £10 billion between 2024 and 2029 due to higher energy bills and reduced revenues for the Treasury.
Industry representatives say that the barriers caused by Brexit will become increasingly noticeable over time, preventing the United Kingdom from fully capitalising on the benefits of developing offshore wind power.
After being elected prime minister, Burnham said the government would consider various options for relations with the EU, including creating a customs union, returning to the single market, or even a "full step forward" — restoring full membership.
However, former EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said that the United Kingdom would not be able to return to the single market on a "pick-and-mix" basis (choosing only what suits it). Speaking to BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg, Barnier said: "During the Brexit negotiations, I repeatedly stressed that you cannot choose only the conditions that benefit you while rejecting the rest."
"You cannot enjoy one freedom while rejecting the others. The four freedoms are, essentially, four mandatory conditions for being in the single market."
Labour MPs backed calls for closer ties. Stella Creasy, head of the Labour Movement for Europe, which advocates holding a de facto second referendum (and proposes including the idea in the party's election manifesto), said that "a number of sensible changes" could be introduced now.
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On Saturday's edition of the BBC's "Today" programme, Creasy noted: "Our export figures have fallen because leaving the European Union dealt a serious blow to our economy. There are many things in life that we can fight, but geography is certainly not one of them."
"The world's largest trading bloc is right on our doorstep, and we decided to leave it. As a result, we now face enormous barriers to trade with it."
She described recent remarks by Burnham, who expressed a desire to establish closer relations with the EU, as "telling the truth".