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Politico (25 March 2025)

Tim Ross

A defense and security pact being drawn up between the U.K. and the EU will fall apart if Keir Starmer doesn't make concessions on fishing rights, according to a senior European politician. 

Jessica Rosencrantz, Sweden’s EU affairs minister, said it was vital to make fast progress on a formal security agreement with the U.K., especially at a time of heightened tension over Ukraine, as countries rapidly re-arm. Officials on both sides are looking to a summit in May as a moment when such a deal could be signed, at least in outline terms. 

But in an interview with POLITICO, the minister said EU member governments were unlikely to sign off on a security deal with the U.K. unless negotiations are also resolved on other “sensitive” issues, including access to British waters for European fishing fleets. A deal on fish would also help in “building trust” between London and Brussels, she added.

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