A warming of UK-EU relations in recent years has been marked by milestones events such as the May 2025 and November 2026 summits, with agreements building from the Windsor Framework, Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and Common Understanding document charting a trajectory towards closer cooperation in key areas, and with it alignment or linking of policy with environmental implications from energy, emissions and food product standards.

Closer cooperation with the UK’s nearest neighbours is welcome when dealing with common and transboundary problems, and managing shared resources. Where progress has been made with the UK rejoining Copernicus, there are other programmes, agencies and platforms that the UK could be part of or rejoin to inform our own decision-making, alongside encouraging joint responses.

If the UK were to pursue a more formal closer relationship with the EU, each scenario would require degrees of alignment with the EU, which our work tracking divergence indicates would mean the UK and four nations aligning with higher environmental standards or abandoning more progressive policies it has pursued, depending on the issue and jurisdiction.