UK, EU reaffirm commitment to implementing Brexit withdrawal agreement

The UK and EU reaffirmed their commitment to fully implementing the Brexit withdrawal agreement during a joint committee meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, according to a joint statement. The Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee meeting was co-chaired by UK Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations Hamish Falconer and European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic. The two sides reviewed progress in implementing the agreement since their previous meeting on Feb. 2, 2026.

According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to the "full, timely, and faithful implementation of the Agreement in all its parts." They also agreed to take all necessary steps to ensure its implementation in practice. "The co-chairs reiterated their joint commitment to protecting citizens’ rights, which are of utmost priority for both sides, noting that almost 6 million EU citizens and 1 million UK nationals are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement," the statement said.

Both sides highlighted the importance of ensuring a smooth transition from temporary to permanent residence for affected citizens throughout 2027, allowing them to fully benefit from the agreement's protections. The co-chairs also expressed a "strong joint commitment" to intensifying efforts to resolve structural issues affecting citizens' daily lives. They stressed the need to safeguard citizens' rights to live, work and travel, as well as their benefits and legal protections, both now and in the coming decades.

Windsor Framework implementation The UK and EU also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing all elements of the Windsor Framework, emphasizing its "fundamental role" in preventing a hard border on the island of Ireland. They said the framework was essential to protecting the interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland while safeguarding the EU Single Market. "They agreed to accelerate the delivery of the safeguards for the protection of the EU Single Market in all areas," the statement said.

The co-chairs also agreed to continue implementing the Withdrawal Agreement alongside the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the recent agreement concerning Gibraltar. The meeting came ahead of a planned EU-UK summit in Brussels on Nov. 20. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, a majority of British voters supported leaving the EU. The UK and EU signed the withdrawal agreement on Jan. 24, 2020, and Britain formally left the bloc on Jan. 31, 2020.