For the impactful EU-UK partnership in the rapidly changing world

The second edition of the “EU-UK Progressive Forum“, taking place between 3-4 November 2026, is a unique format that offer space for leading politicians,  academics, trade unionists and experts from across Europe. The aim of these exchanges held in the heart of Brussels remains strategic – enabling an honest conversation that goes beyond the post-Brexit negotiations, and instead of focusing on the past allows looking together into the most pertinent questions that are to frame not only the EU-UK partnership, but possibly the entire new global order emerging after the period of polycrisis and grand unravelling that it brought.

This year, the intention is to place the conversation in the context of the grand transformations and examine questions such as: what should the EU-UK partnership focus on to promote a values and international law-embedded international order? What kind of change can there be in the relations in the short and long term, taking into account the change in the government and the premiership of Andy Burnham? And then, what political innovations can social democrats inspire one another with?

The EU-UK partnership saw a new chapter in relations open in 2025. Following that, further rapprochements and new agreements have been reached between the UK and the respective Member States. While multiple issues are being discussed in those frameworks, there is no doubt that the silver thread remains the question of security. It is implicitly understood in a broad manner, including traditional matters (such as defence capacities) as well as trade relations and diplomacy, and, however, it expands to the challenge of converging on how to respond to transformations in the fields of the environment, digitalisation, democracy and others.

FEPS will open the Forum with a public fringe event on 3 November 2026, bringing together political actors and experts to discuss how the renewed EU-UK relationship can develop into a more strategic and impactful partnership.

The discussion will focus on:

• From transactional to strategic: How can the EU and UK build a deeper partnership based on shared democratic values and common interests?
• Strengthening resilience: How can they respond jointly to hybrid threats such as cyberattacks, disinformation and energy disruption? Aligning strategic priorities: Where do UK priorities converge with emerging EU priorities in foreign, security and energy policy?
• The UK’s role in Europe: How should the UK position itself amid wider EU discussions on strategic partnerships, relations with countries such as Canada, Iceland and Norway, and future enlargement?
• Beyond security: Where is there scope for deeper cooperation on climate, energy, trade, digitalisation and democratic resilience?

For more information, please contact Ania Skrzypek, Director for Research and Training (ania.skrzypek@feps-europe.eu) and/or, Iris Vijverberg, Project Officer (iris.vijverberg@feps-europe.eu).