EU Statement at the 1st Trade Policy Review of the United Kingdom, 28 October 2025
On behalf of the European Union, I warmly welcome the Delegation of the United Kingdom, led by Sir Chris Bryant, as well as the previous and current Ambassadors and their excellent teams in Geneva. I would also like to thank the WTO Secretariat and the United Kingdom for their reports that form the basis for our discussions. Allow me also to welcome the Discussant H.E. Mr Ali Sarfraz Hussain (Pakistan) for the insightful introduction.
This trade policy review takes place in a new context, as it is the first one of the United Kingdom not as member of the European Union. The decision to leave the European Union fundamentally changed our trading relationship. While the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which entered into force in 2021, is an excellent trade agreement by all standards, it can never provide the same benefits as being part of the EU Single Market. We also see this in the trade statistics where trade in goods between the United Kingdom and the European Union is still below the pre-Brexit level.
Still, our bilateral relationship continues to be one of close cooperation and common regulatory roots. This close cooperation has extended also to the important task of disentangling the United Kingdom from the obligations of the European Union in the WTO. This involved notably the apportionment of the EU’s aggregate measurement of support and tariff rate quota concessions. Our common objective was to ensure an orderly process, the respect of the WTO Agreement, and a smooth and predictable transition based on established patterns of trade. All this also to the benefit of our trade partners in the WTO.
Our ties are even more important in the current geopolitical and geoeconomic context. The EU is the United Kingdom's largest trading partner, both in goods and services, and investment flows between the EU and the United Kingdom remain among the highest in the world.
Despite the United Kingdom’s strong record on trade and our close relationship, the EU would like to highlight in particular three areas where concerns remain:
First, within the area of trade in services, temporary movement of professionals is central to professional and business services. In this context, we have posed questions regarding the UK Sponsorship Scheme. It is essential to ensure that this scheme does not hinder trade in services.
Second, given our close ties and interlinked economies, the recognition of professional qualifications is another key EU interest, which we understand is a priority for the United Kingdom as well.
Third, the EU considers that it is vital to enhance the effectiveness of the United Kingdom’s subsidy control system to ensure a level playing field in particular with the EU, given our close and important trading relationship.
Chair, finally, let me commend the United Kingdom for its active participation in and constructive contribution to the multilateral trading system.
The EU and the United Kingdom cooperate closely on the need to reform the Organization to address the root causes of today’s trade tensions and fill the gaps in the rule book. In this context, we especially welcome the United Kingdom’s contributions to the informal work on trade and industrial policy.
We welcome also the United Kingdom’s decision to join the EU and others in the Multi-party interim appeal arbitration (MPIA) arrangement that provides a temporary framework for resolving WTO disputes. In the current context of trade turbulence, it is a strong signal of support for rules-based trade.
The EU appreciates the United Kingdom’s active role in the reform by doing efforts and its useful initiatives in the different technical committees.
The EU also welcomes the United Kingdom’s full support and participation in the various ongoing plurilateral initiatives in the WTO and the efforts to integrate them into the WTO rulebook.
Chairman, to conclude, the EU is grateful to the UK for having replied in a comprehensive manner to the advance questions. On behalf of the EU, I wish the United Kingdom a very successful 1st Trade Policy Review.