Brussels has warned that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's plans to "restart" relations with the European Union could fail if London does not soften its key "red lines" on economic integration after Brexit, writes "Politico".
Starmer, who is under pressure after the Labour Party's poor results in local elections, has promised to put Britain "at the heart of Europe" and to deepen cooperation with the EU in areas such as trade, security and defence.
However, according to EU officials and politicians, the British government's refusal to discuss joining the single market or customs union limits the possibilities for real convergence.
French MEP Sandro Gosi, chairman of the European Parliament delegation for relations with the UK, said that London must take "another step" by participating in the single market and the proposed European Security Council. The new defense format is seen as a way for Europe to reduce its dependence on the United States and NATO.
"The world has changed since those red lines were drawn," Gosi noted.
When asked if he was ready to review the restrictions, Starmer did not give a direct answer, but left open the possibility of a more flexible approach.
"What I want to do is take a big step forward with the EU-UK summit this year and bring us closer together, both in trade and in the economy, in defense and in security, and that will be a platform that we can build on as we move forward," he said.
The upcoming EU-UK summit, scheduled for this summer, is seen as a key test of the new partnership. However, European officials have expressed dissatisfaction that a date has not yet been finally confirmed and preparations have been postponed several times.
The European Commission said it was working on agreements in areas such as agricultural standards, the youth exchange scheme, electricity trading and the linking of emissions trading systems.
The British government said that future arrangements with the EU would "remove unnecessary barriers to trade" and reduce the pressure on household spending.
However, there are doubts in Brussels that a significant breakthrough can be achieved without a deeper change in post-Brexit relations.
European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola nevertheless said that there was "a new dynamic" in relations between the two countries and that the summit was a chance to build a "genuine strategic partnership" in areas such as trade, energy, security, mobility and investment.