Three EP committees visit London to discuss EU-UK relations
Three delegations of Members of the European Parliament visited London 28-30 October 2024 to meet with their counterparts and other stakeholders to discuss strengthening EU-UK relations. Each committee was led by its Chair: David McAllister (EPP, DE) for the Foreign Affairs Committee, Bernd Lange (S&D, DE) for the International Trade Committee and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Renew, DE) for the Security and Defence Subcommittee. They were joined by six to seven MEPs per delegation, including the Co-Chair of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly Sandro Gozi (Renew, FR). Altogether 20 MEPs travelled to London.
The three delegations had joint briefings with the Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in London, Susanne Oberhauser, as well as EU Ambassador Pedro Serrano and the 27 Ambassadors of the EU Member States. Otherwise, for the most part, each delegation held separate meetings on topics in their respective fields. From the UK government, MEPs met Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations Nick Thomas-Symonds, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn, Minister for Europe Stephen Doughty and Minister of State for Defence Lord Coaker.
In the UK Parliament, the delegations held lively discussions with numerous MPs and Peers, including the Chairs of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, the Business and Trade Committee and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. In the House of Lords, the European Affairs Committee hosted all three delegations. MEPs also met members of the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee and the former Windsor Framework Subcommittee.
