British PM Starmer heads to Brussels for ‘first talk’ on EU restart – New York Blog

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will push to reset relations when he meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday in what Brussels described as a “first dialogue” on issues including trade , youth security and mobility.

Starmer, who won the Labor Party in the July election, has made it clear that his government will not continue to negotiate a comprehensive Brexit agreement that took Britain out of the bloc.

But it aims to change the relationship in several areas. The European Union shares his desire for a security agreement, but negotiations on barriers to the movement of goods and people could be more difficult.

“We can only meet (international) challenges if we throw our collective weight behind them, which is why I am so determined to put the Brexit years behind us and establish a more pragmatic and mature relationship with the European Union,” said Starmer. in a statement before the tour.

Starmer has already visited Berlin, Paris, Rome and Dublin since being elected to lay the groundwork for resetting the relationship. In addition to von der Leyen, Starmer will also meet on Wednesday with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

“Both sides are using the word reset, so it will obviously be an opportunity to discuss a possible way forward,” a Commission spokesman said this week. .

“This is the first meeting between the two of us and, therefore, it will be just the beginning of a conversation. “

Starmer has refused to return to the EU’s single market, customs union or its free movement agreements.

But he has pledged to seek a new vet deal aimed at reducing border checks and also wants mutual recognition of certain professional qualifications and easier access to the EU for touring artists.

While EU leaders have welcomed Starmer’s warmer tone, both sides have admitted that changes in the content of the relationship will depend on tough negotiations, even if the main principles of the Brexit deal are not touched.

For example, Starmer has said there are no plans for a youth migration scheme, rejecting an EU proposal to allow EU citizens aged 18 to 30 to live in Britain and for young Britons to stay in the EU for up to four years .

Youth mobility is a key demand in the EU and London’s acceptance, perhaps in a diluted form, could be a condition for advancing Britain’s wish list.