Defence and Foreign Policy

Abstract

Abstract This chapter considers the terms of EU-UK relations in the field of Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), another area which is entirely left out of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). It underlines the exclusion of cooperation in foreign policy and defence as a deliberate UK choice; however, parties still have to work together to counter global challenges. It also explains the central place of the UK in European defence and security, and the absence of any formal defence relationship between these two actors within the framework of the TCA. The chapter clarifies that the absence of defence from the scope of the TCA is a function of the UK’s immediate focus on distancing itself from the EU for largely domestic political reasons. It highlights perceived sovereignty gains and defence policy cooperation on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) framework and bilateral/mini-lateral links.