London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 19, 2026

UK-EU post-Brexit trade deal: What’s inside the landmark agreement?

UK-EU post-Brexit trade deal: What’s inside the landmark agreement?

The United Kingdom and the European Union have inked a last-minute agreement outlining post-Brexit trade relations, just a week before Britain was set to exit the bloc’s economic zone without a deal. What’s in the fine print?

The comprehensive document, totalling around 2,000 pages, covers everything from doctor certification to fisheries, and lays the groundwork for wide-ranging economic, security and political cooperation.

What will trade between the UK & EU look like, going forward?


In many respects, economic activity between the bloc and its former member state will remain unchanged. The agreement calls for free trade between the two parties. This means tariff- and quota-free economic cooperation. However, UK manufacturers and producers will need to comply with both UK and EU standards and regulations, meaning Brits will still have to follow guidance from Brussels if they want to trade with the bloc. There will be customs and regulatory checks that were waived while the UK was part of the bloc’s single market.

So, who won the fiery fishing dispute?


Fishing rights, which became a heated political issue for both sides, will soon be negotiated on an annual basis, as the UK will pull out from the bloc’s rules stipulating who can fish where. EU vessels will still be allowed in British waters but their quotas for annual turnover will be reduced by 25 percent over the next five and a half years.

Will UK citizens now need a visa to work or study in the EU?


UK passport holders will no longer be able to work or study in the EU without a visa. Brits will be required to have visas if they remain in the bloc over 90 days. The new rules mirror similar agreements the EU has with the United States and other countries. British doctors, nurses, architects, dentists and other professionals requiring certification will need to seek recognition from the EU state they wish to work in, as opposed to the automatic approval process granted to EU citizens.

What else did the deal cover?


Although the agreement is a trade deal first and foremost, it actually touches on a range of critical issues, including security and law enforcement. Cross-border police investigations and law enforcement operations will continue, but the UK will no longer be part of the European Arrest Warrant system, and will not be treated as a full member of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, known as Europol. The UK will maintain access to the bloc’s law enforcement database, which shares police alerts about thefts and missing persons.

What happens if trade disputes occur between the two sides in the future?


The deal recognizes that there will undoubtedly be disagreements between the two parties regarding trade. The agreement calls for an arbitrage panel to help settle trade disputes, and allows for parties to seek compensation if the panel’s actions are later ruled excessive or unjust. There will also be a UK-EU governance committee that will be tasked with implementing and enforcing all aspects of the new deal.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain Kills at Least Twenty-One and Injures Scores
Meghan Markle May Return to the U.K. This Summer as Security Review Advances
Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat Sparks EU Response and Risks Deep Transatlantic Rift
Prince Harry’s High Court Battle With Daily Mail Publisher Begins in London
Trump’s Tariff Escalation Presents Complex Challenges for the UK Economy
UK Prime Minister Starmer Rebukes Trump’s Greenland Tariff Strategy as Transatlantic Tensions Rise
Prince Harry’s Last Press Case in UK Court Signals Potential Turning Point in Media and Royal Relations
OpenAI to Begin Advertising in ChatGPT in Strategic Shift to New Revenue Model
GDP Growth Remains the Most Telling Barometer of Britain’s Economic Health
Prince William and Kate Middleton Stay Away as Prince Harry Visits London Amid Lingering Rift
Britain Braces for Colder Weather and Snow Risk as Temperatures Set to Plunge
Mass Protests Erupt as UK Nears Decision on China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London
Prince Harry to Return to UK to Testify in High-Profile Media Trial Against Associated Newspapers
Keir Starmer Rejects Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat as ‘Completely Wrong’
Trump to hit Europe with 10% tariffs until Greenland deal is agreed
Prince Harry Returns to UK High Court as Final Privacy Trial Against Daily Mail Publisher Begins
Britain Confronts a Billion-Pound Wind Energy Paradox Amid Grid Constraints
The graduate 'jobpocalypse': Entry-level jobs are not shrinking. They are disappearing.
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
The Return of the Hands: Why the AI Age Is Rewriting the Meaning of “Real Work”
UK PM Kier Scammer Ridicules Tories With "Kamasutra"
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
United Kingdom and Norway Endorse NATO’s ‘Arctic Sentry’ Mission Including Greenland
Woman Claiming to Be Freddie Mercury’s Secret Daughter Dies at Forty-Eight After Rare Cancer Battle
UK Launches First-Ever ‘Town of Culture’ Competition to Celebrate Local Stories and Boost Communities
Planned Sale of Shell and Exxon’s UK Gas Assets to Viaro Energy Collapses Amid Regulatory and Market Hurdles
UK Intensifies Arctic Security Engagement as Trump’s Greenland Rhetoric Fuels Allied Concern
Meghan Markle Could Return to the UK for the First Time in Nearly Four Years If Security Is Secured
Meghan Markle Likely to Return to UK Only if Harry Secures Official Security Cover
UAE Restricts Funding for Emiratis to Study in UK Amid Fears Over Muslim Brotherhood Influence
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks to Safeguard Long-Term Agreement Stability
Starmer’s Push to Rally Support for Action Against Elon Musk’s X Faces Setback as Canada Shuns Ban
UK Free School Meals Expansion Faces Political and Budgetary Delays
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks With Britain
Germany Hit by Major Airport Strikes Disrupting European Travel
Prince Harry Seeks King Charles’ Support to Open Invictus Games on UK Return
Washington Holds Back as Britain and France Signal Willingness to Deploy Troops in Postwar Ukraine
Elon Musk Accuses UK Government of Suppressing Free Speech as X Faces Potential Ban Over AI-Generated Content
Russia Deploys Hypersonic Missile in Strike on Ukraine
OpenAI and SoftBank Commit One Billion Dollars to Energy and Data Centre Supplier
UK Prime Minister Starmer Reaffirms Support for Danish Sovereignty Over Greenland Amid U.S. Pressure
UK Support Bolsters U.S. Seizure of Russian-Flagged Tanker Marinera in Atlantic Strike on Sanctions Evasion
The Claim That Maduro’s Capture and Trial Violate International Law Is Either Legally Illiterate—or Deliberately Deceptive
UK Data Watchdog Probes Elon Musk’s X Over AI-Generated Grok Images Amid Surge in Non-Consensual Outputs
Prince Harry to Return to UK for Court Hearing Without Plans to Meet King Charles III
UK Confirms Support for US Seizure of Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker in North Atlantic
Béla Tarr, Visionary Hungarian Filmmaker, Dies at Seventy After Long Illness
UK and France Pledge Military Hubs Across Ukraine in Post-Ceasefire Security Plan
Prince Harry Poised to Regain UK Security Cover, Clearing Way for Family Visits
UK Junk Food Advertising Ban Faces Major Loophole Allowing Brand-Only Promotions
×