The European Union is 'open-minded' about the possibility of Britain joining a customs union, the bloc's finance commissioner has said. Valdis Dombrovskis stated that the EU is 'ready to engage' if the UK wishes to explore such an arrangement, marking the strongest comments yet from Brussels on the issue.
Despite growing pressure on the government to consider a customs union, the UK has repeatedly ruled it out, describing it as a 'red line' in negotiations with the EU. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has expressed a desire for closer ties with the bloc but maintained that rejoining the customs union would require unpicking post-Brexit trade deals with countries like the US and India.
Speaking after talks with ministers, Mr Dombrovskis also indicated that the UK and EU could remove most food checks between them and that Britain could join the EU's €150bn defence loans scheme. The comments come as Chancellor Rachel Reeves emphasised the importance of stronger ties with the EU amid global instability, following threats from Donald Trump to impose tariffs.
The Prime Minister has suggested that aligning with the single market is 'the place to look' in future negotiations, and a second UK-EU summit is expected later this year. Among the areas under discussion is a youth mobility scheme, which Sir Keir said would be visa-led and include a cap on numbers.
