FIRST LIBE PARLIAMENTARY MISSION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM SINCE BREXIT

From 2 to 5 June, Javier Zarzalejos led a delegation from the LIBE Committee on a mission to London. The Members of the European Parliament held meetings with legislators, senior officials from the UK Government, and experts in the fields of police and judicial cooperation, data protection, and online safety.

In the area of police and judicial cooperation, the delegation reviewed the current state of EU–UK relations in this field.

On the domestic front, the Starmer Government has announced the merger of Counter Terrorism Policing and the National Crime Agency into a new National Policing Service, with the aim of strengthening the response to complex threats. Bilaterally, cooperation with European agencies continues to advance significantly: since September 2025, a new operational arrangement has allowed the United Kingdom to deploy up to 20 liaison officers to Europol; cooperation with Eurojust has been active since 2021; and in February 2025, the UK’s tax and customs authority (HMRC) signed a working arrangement with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), reflecting both sides’ interest in maintaining close criminal justice cooperation despite the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

In the field of data protection, the mission took place several months after the European Commission renewed the adequacy decisions with the United Kingdom until 2031 in December 2025, following an assessment process that included an analysis of the impact of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 on the UK’s data protection framework. The delegation had the opportunity to discuss with local authorities and experts the practical implications of this renewal, as well as the areas that the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has identified for particular monitoring.

The mission also devoted significant attention to online safety and the protection of minors, where the UK regulatory model—particularly the Online Safety Act 2023—is of particular relevance to the ongoing European debate. Discussions also covered UK legislation on consent in sexual offences, an issue linked to the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 28 April 2026 calling on the Commission to present a specific legislative proposal in this area that would go beyond the scope of the current Directive.

The mission further reflected the growing role of the European Parliament in bilateral parliamentary dialogue. The EU–UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, established under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, held its seventh session in Brussels in March 2026, bringing together 35 Members of the European Parliament and 35 members of the UK Parliament. The LIBE mission to London forms part of this strengthened interparliamentary relationship, which both institutions are seeking to consolidate ahead of a possible summit this summer.