Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee
Conclusion 78
3rd Report – From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership fit for the future
Published 4 Mar 2026
Addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Foreign Affairs Committee The UK-EU reset: rebuilding a strategic partnership in uncertain times All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The closer relationship with the EU and the accelerating trend towards UK regulatory alignment with the EU does, however, raise important questions about the need for parliamentary scrutiny of EU matters within the House of Commons. In particular, under the envisaged agreements based on dynamic alignment the UK Parliament will, in effect, be asked to outsource more of its legislative autonomy to another jurisdiction while such treaties are in place (on top of the requirement to align with EU rules already required by the Windsor Framework for Northern Ireland). As long as alignment is taking place, EU laws will inevitably constrain UK Government policy and Parliament’s legislative functions, as well as having potentially significant impacts on businesses and citizens. (Conclusion, Paragraph 223) 101
From: Foreign Affairs Committee, 3rd Report – From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership fit for the future (HC 857), 4 March 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 21 May 2026 (deadline 4 May 2026).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government welcomes the Committee's contributions and says it has "considered the report's findings carefully", responding to the recommendations in turn, with many matters said to be subject to ongoing negotiation.
- On the Gibraltar Treaty, the Government says Parliament will be able to scrutinise it under the 2010 Act "once it has been signed", and that the Committee's views on a debate will be conveyed to the Leader of the House and business managers "for consideration".
- On Security Action for Europe (SAFE), the Government says it "was unable to reach an agreement" that met the national interest test, and that UK firms retain access to SAFE contracts under standard third-country terms.
- On the Sanitary and Phytosanitary and electricity negotiations, the Government says details are "subject to ongoing negotiations" and it "will not provide a running commentary". It aims to conclude ETS linking and Youth Experience talks by the next summit, and says the electricity agreement will come into force "within this parliament".
- On a dedicated Commons EU affairs committee, the Government says it "intends to consider the matter further", and on Galileo says it has no plans to rejoin.