On Monday, 2 February 2026, the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) held meetings of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) Partnership Council in London. These meetings were co-chaired by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, and European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic.
These were the 1st meetings of the 2 joint bodies to be held since the UK-EU Summit last year on 19 May 2025, also taking place then in London. This was when the EU and UK leaders reaffirmed their full commitment to the timely and faithful implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement. It included the Windsor Framework and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Discussions included agreement on areas to strengthen the relationship through a new strategic partnership.
The Joint Committee recorded the current status of the Withdrawal Agreement’s implementation. This focuses on citizens’ rights. The Windsor Framework and the Protocol have a connection to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus.
Regarding citizens’ rights, the co-chairs reiterated their joint priority: the rights of the British nations in the EU and, vice versa, those of the EU in the UK, both presently and in the future. They welcome the solution to the true and extra cohort enshrined in the UK law. They agreed to accelerate the transition from temporary to permanent residence for these citizens. They also committed to further strengthening their cooperation on all pending citizens’ rights issues.
Regarding the Windsor Framework, the co-chairs welcomed the positive trajectory in its implementation. They highlighted the new milestones reached. These were for the benefit of people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The initiative included new simplified customs arrangements since May 2025. It reduced the sanitary and phytosanitary checks since December 2025.
