The UK and the EU – is it time for a reset?

At the time of the EU Ambassador’s visit to Scotland last spring, it felt like relations between the UK and the EU were beginning to improve. Today speculation is also mounting as to whether the actions of the new UK government will translate into a new (and dare I say, better?) relationship with the EU.

In 2021 the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, or TCA, created two structures for civil society to engage with decision makers going forward: a Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) and a UK/EU Civil Society Forum (CSF). The TCA can be an intimidating topic at first sight, with difficult legal issues and a political environment that remains volatile. As my colleague Steve Grozier noted in his recent blog, in Scotland voluntary organisations continue to struggle financially, and are faced with increasing demand for their services. The sector has difficulty recruiting staff and volunteers. Priorities are therefore not focused on Europe, yet some of the issues in the TCA are critical to the sector and beyond.

Earlier this month the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture (CEEAC) Committee published its report on Barriers to trade in goods and opportunities to improve the UK/EU trading relationship. The report is focused on trade in goods, but it is worth noting points made about the role of civil society and the need for better engagement with stakeholders going forward. A review of the TCA is due in 2026 and while the parameters are yet to be determined, now is the time to acknowledge its importance in the years ahead.

As the EU DAG noted in their evidence, ‘it is very important that there is cooperation between people in civil society, that there are exchanges on areas in which we have common interests and that we point out areas in which we see problems’. The CEEAC committee also clearly asks for improved engagement with civil society, business and trade unions through the DAGs and Civil Society Forum. As they indicate: ‘there is a need for ongoing cooperation and collaboration to make continual improvements to the operation of the TCA, an agreement which is still in its infancy and has several unresolved implementation issues’.

Last week  the latest meeting between the EU and UK DAGs also took place in Brussels. They published a joint statement underlining the need for strong relations between the EU and the UK in the future. They also noted areas of future improvement, including:

• Address mobility challenges for businesses and citizens: The DAGs call on both sides to consider prioritising an agreement on youth mobility to allow young people greater opportunities to study and work in the EU and UK. Moreover, the DAGs would welcome further discussions on association to Erasmus+ to support mutual learning and experiences for university, college and apprenticeship students as well as civil society organisations. The DAGs would also welcome the UK rejoining Creative Europe to support cultural exchange and the European Solidarity Corps.
• Uphold level playing field and international commitments: Building on level playing field provisions in the TCA should be a priority for the parties in order to ensure high-level standards for social and labour rights, environmental, climate and animal welfare protection.
• Foster greater collaboration on the climate and energy agenda: the EU and the UK pursue the shared goal of transitioning to net zero, cooperation on both environmental policies and meeting energy needs emerges as a major priority. Cooperation in international fora is important to achieve these goals.

Human rights, mobility and the transition to net zero are issues of importance to the voluntary sector too. We need to ensure that our voice is heard in the coming months and years. SCVO is already working on this with Irene Oldfather who is SCVO representative on the UK DAG and one of its co-vice chairs. Irene also set up a forum in Scotland to gather evidence and discuss these topics – the Scottish Advisory Forum on Europe (SAFE).

Whether the time has come for a reset or not, Europe and the issues outlined above are not about to disappear anytime soon. The voluntary sector must use all opportunities to demonstrate its commitment to a better society.