The first meeting of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA), established by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and agreed in December 2020, will be opened by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

MEPs and UK parliamentarians will debate on the latest developments in EU-UK relations and the state of play within the Partnership Council, which oversees the implementation, application and interpretation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. They will also discuss EU-UK cooperation to address Russia’s war against Ukraine, energy, the impact of Withdrawal Agreement issues on the work of the Partnership Council and how to build a new, multi-dimensional EU-UK relationship after Brexit.

Additional speakers expected to address those gathered include Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, UK Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Ellis, Secretary General of the European External Action Service Stefano Sannino as well as UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey.

The full meeting agenda is available here.

You can follow all the meetings live here (Thursday) and here (Friday).

Press conference

A press conference with the Chairs of the European Parliament’s and the UK Parliament’s delegations to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe, FR) and Sir Oliver Heald, is scheduled for 13.15 CEST on Thursday, in Parliament’s press conference room Anna Politkovskaya (SPAAK building, room 0A50).

For remote participation, please connect via Interactio here. You can also watch it live here.

Background

The EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly was set up following the entry into force of the new Trade and Cooperation Agreement in January 2021. It acts as a forum for the European Parliament and the UK Parliament to exchange views on EU-UK relations. It can also request information from the Partnership Council - the main joint EU-UK body overseeing the implementation of the TCA - and make recommendations to it.

The Partnership Council is currently chaired by EU Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss.