On 5 February 2026, IEEP UK hosted a webinar on the progress made so far on the environmental commitments undertaken as part of the UK-EU Reset. Taking place just a few hours after the publication of an EFRA Committee report on the Government’s negotiations with the EU over a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, this timely discussion also explored expectations for future Reset talks in 2026.

Chaired by IEEP UK Executive Director Ben Reynolds, the session opened with a presentation by Professor Emily Lydgate, Co-Director of the UK Trade Policy Observatory and Deputy Director of the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy at the University of Sussex. The presentation centred on the ways in which an UK-EU reset can be delivered, focusing in particular on the SPS common area negotiations. Lydgate stressed the fact that a reset is not just about regulatory alignment, but also concerns the domestic process by which this alignment (or divergence) is delivered. Advocating for a more inclusive process, Lydgate argued that any process of dynamic alignment should include the following aspects: a role for Parliament in ongoing monitoring and scrutiny; stakeholder consultation regarding whether to align with new EU regulations; and agreement from devolved nations on decisions concerning dynamic alignment.

Alistair Carmichael MP, Chair of the EFRA Committee, emphasised the importance of a successful outcome of the negotiations with the EU over the SPS agreement, recognising the Government’s significant achievement in having created a political environment that could make such an agreement possible. At the same time, Carmichael highlighted the risk of negotiating a technically nuanced agreement while there is a political imperative to get the deal concluded soon. The EFRA Committee Chair warned against a hasty process that could ultimately damage the cause for reintegration and better trading relationships with the EU.

For the panel discussion, we were joined by IEEP UK’s Honorary Fellow David Baldock, who stressed the need for a similar level of enthusiasm and ambition for the potential environmental benefits of an SPS agreement negotiations to that seen for its potential economic benefits. Looking ahead, Baldock also recognised that the emissions trading system (ETS), which already features already in the Reset negotiations, holds some promise for alignment, alongside the potential for common standards in areas such as the circular economy and chemicals. Head of Policy and Campaigns at PAN UK Josie Cohen emphasised the weaknesses of a UK stand-alone pesticide regime compared to the wins that dynamic alignment with the EU could bring for human health, the environment, food businesses (both farmers and food retailers), and capacity and costs savings for the UK Government.

Finally, Beth Barker, Head of Policy at Aldersgate Group, focused on the negotiations on the linkage of UK and EU ETS schemes that were announced in May 2025 and are expected to be concluded by the next UK-EU summit this year. Barker underscored the benefits for both sides of such a timely linkage, especially since could allow for mutual Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) exemptions, with the EU’s mechanism in operation since the start of this year and the UK’s set to come into force in January 2027.

You can watch the full recording of the webinar below, or by following this link. You can download Professor Lydgate’s slides from the session below.