UK and EU reaffirm commitment to Brexit withdrawal agreement
The United Kingdom and the European Union have reaffirmed their commitment to fully implementing the Brexit withdrawal agreement, pledging to address outstanding issues affecting citizens and strengthen cooperation under the post-Brexit arrangements.
The commitment was confirmed Tuesday during a meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee in Brussels, co-chaired by UK Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations Hamish Falconer and European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic.
The two sides reviewed progress since their previous meeting on Feb. 2, 2026, and agreed to take all necessary steps to ensure the agreement is implemented fully, on time and in practice.
Citizens’ rights remain a priority
In a joint statement, the UK and EU stressed that protecting citizens' rights remains a central priority, noting that almost six million EU citizens and one million UK nationals are covered by the agreement.
Both parties highlighted the need to ensure a smooth transition from temporary to permanent residence for eligible citizens throughout 2027.
They also pledged to intensify efforts to resolve structural problems affecting people's daily lives, including issues related to the rights to live, work and travel, as well as access to benefits and legal protections.
Windsor Framework implementation
The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing all elements of the Windsor Framework, describing it as essential to avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland.
The framework is intended to protect the interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland while safeguarding the EU Single Market.
Both parties agreed to accelerate the implementation of safeguards designed to protect the single market across all relevant areas.
Further cooperation ahead of November summit
The UK and EU also agreed to continue implementing the withdrawal agreement alongside the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the recent agreement concerning Gibraltar.
Tuesday's meeting came ahead of a planned EU-UK summit in Brussels on Nov. 20, where broader bilateral relations are expected to remain on the agenda.
The UK voted to leave the EU in the 2016 Brexit referendum. The withdrawal agreement was signed on Jan. 24, 2020, and Britain formally left the bloc on Jan. 31, 2020.
Source:AA
