In this episode of The Sound of Economics, we look at what came out of the May 19 EU-UK summit. Host Rebecca Christie speaks with Bruegel’s Ignacio García Bercero and Heather Grabbe about the shift in post-Brexit ties between the two trading partners, what needs to be negotiated next, and how this relates to contentious transatlantic trade relations. U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of big tariffs against the EU contrasts with the cooperative approach of the London talks, which laid out a path forward in key areas like energy, fishing, youth mobility, emissions trading schemes, and animal and plant health standards.
Relevant research:
- Ignacio García Bercero and Heather Grabbe, ‘The EU-UK reset: a first, big step in the right direction’, First Glance, 22 May 2025, Bruegel, https://www.bruegel.org/first-glance/eu-uk-reset-first-big-step-right-direction
- Berg, J., R. Christie, H. Geeroms and F. Papadia (2025), ‘Make finance part of the EU-UK post-Brexit reset', Analysis, Bruegel
- García-Bercero, I. (2024) ‘A trade policy framework for the European Union-United Kingdom reset’, Policy Brief 30/2024, Bruegel
