Brussels, 4 November 2025
Željana Zovko’s report on the implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was adopted in the committee on foreign affairs.
As member of the committee on foreign affairs (AFET) and rapporteur for the UK, Zovko welcomed this adoption. “The report on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement highlights the EU’s strong commitment to strengthening its partnership with the UK amid growing security challenges and global geopolitical shifts. It builds on the commitments made during the EU-UK Summit in May, notably the signing of a Security and Defence Partnership. The EU and the UK must further deepen their cooperation in key regions, including the Middle East, the Sahel, and the Western Balkans, as well as in ensuring maritime security in the Red Sea”, she stated.
Zovko successfully included in the report the importance of the joint EU-UK role in upholding the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement.
Moreover, the report on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement underlines the crucial role of the Good Friday Agreement and calls on all stakeholders to uphold it and ensure its implementation, as an essential condition for peace and stability.
In the area of security and defence, the report calls for increased cooperation to fight against hybrid threats, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. The report also recognises the UK’s role as a key NATO ally and emphasizes that the Security and Defence Partnership signed between the EU and the UK aims at reinforcing the European contribution to NATO.
In the area of education, the report calls on the EU and the UK to deepen their academic cooperation. Moreover, it welcomes the commitment of the EU and the UK to work towards the UK’s association with the Erasmus+ programme.