How to Structure an EU/UK Partnership on Foreign, Security and Defence Policy
It is time for an ambitious foreign policy, security and defence partnership (FSDP) between the EU and the UK, tailored to reflect the UK’s unique situation, which should be swiftly negotiated and concluded. A commentary by Alan Dashwood
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FileEU-UK Partnership - Dashwood.pdf (495.74 KB)
This intervention was delivered during a roundtable hosted in Brussels on 5 May 2025 by the Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University, focused on shaping a future EU–UK security and defence partnership. The event examined legal, institutional, and strategic dimensions of enhanced cooperation.
Executive Summary
The paper addresses the question of how to structure post-Brexit cooperation between the United Kingdom and the European Union in the fields of foreign policy, security, and defence.
It rejects the suggestion that the UK should initially content itself with ad hoc cooperation, opting for a structured approach, which is evidently the preference of the Parties themselves.
As precedents of structured cooperation, the paper contrasts the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement (Canada SPA) with the new non-binding, tailored security and defence partnerships which the EU began concluding in 2024 with a number of third countries (including, importantly, Norway); it is argued that the tailored partnership model offers the most suitable framework for the EU/UK relationship, enabling prompt, flexible, and incremental development of cooperation without the delays and rigidity associated with a binding international agreement.
Against the background of recent geopolitical developments, including the deterioration of the transatlantic security relationship under the Trump Administration, the paper sets out detailed proposals for the content of an EU/UK tailored partnership.
These comprise: suggestions for the matters to be highlighted in the preamble; a proposal for a general institutional framework, which should include (if perhaps only in the medium term) a consultation mechanism allowing the UK to feed its views systematically into the EU Council’s formal decision-making on foreign policy, security and defence; and identification of the areas of cooperation, which should extend to foreign policy as well as security and defence.
The areas of cooperation more particularly discussed are, besides foreign policy, continuing support for Ukraine, the potential contribution by the UK to CSDP missions, and the prospects for the UK’s involvement in EU instruments designed to strengthen the European defence industrial sector, covering the whole range from research and development to the production and procurement of armaments.
UK membership of the EU’s single market restricted to the defence industrial sector is suggested as a medium-term aim.
In sum, the paper advocates for an ambitious foreign policy, security and defence partnership (FSDP) between the EU and the UK, tailored to reflect the UK’s unique situation, which should be swiftly negotiated and concluded.
IEP@BU does not express opinions of its own. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the authors.
