Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Recommendation 9
6th Report – How to strengthen UK-EU relations: Policy Priorities for the Summit
Published 15 May 2025
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee Export led growth All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Government should seek to maximise cuts to the red tape currently restricting free trade with the EU, taking full advantage of the customs cooperation provisions in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Specifically, it should pursue mutual recognition of UK and EU Authorised Economic Operator schemes for customs simplification, a bilateral waiver of safety and security declarations, and enhanced cooperation to facilitate roll-on, roll-off cargo traffic. In addition, the Government should consult with industry on a regular basis to identify and address further opportunities to streamline border processes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 43)
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, 6th Report – How to strengthen UK-EU relations: Policy Priorities for the Summit (HC 908), 15 May 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 5 September 2025 (deadline 15 July 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response points to the outcomes of the UK-EU Summit on 19 May as its main answer to the Committee, and states that further technical negotiations are required to implement the commitments.
- On the SPS agreement, the government says it agreed "the broad parameters" at the Summit, will "start talks straight away", and that implementing the agreement "will require primary legislation".
- On mutual recognition of conformity assessments, the government "notes" the suggestion and says the Summit outcomes "did not include a commitment to negotiate MRAs", while remaining committed to tackling trade barriers.
- On the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention, the government says only that the UK "will now engage business and Pan-Euro-Mediterranean (PEM) members to consider the benefits" of joining.
- On research, the government says the UK "is interested in potentially associating to FP10, assuming it is open, relevant and provides good value" for researchers and taxpayers.