- Chancellor will today [Friday 18
September] attend the EU finance ministers meeting for the
second time
- UK set to deepen ties in defence and trade, to create a
safer, more prosperous Europe
- Chancellor will push for trade rules to help British business
and the international investment needed to deliver growth and
higher living standards for working people
Chancellor is meeting finance ministers
from European countries, Canada and Ukraine in Copenhagen to talk
about defence, trade and investment.
Building on the hard work done to reset relationships with EU
countries and the May UK-EU Summit, the Chancellor will take a
seat at the table with the finance ministers responsible for
economies within the UK's biggest trading partner.
She will represent the UK as a sovereign nation acting in the
national interest.
Chancellor said:
"The EU remains our biggest trading partner. Our economic
future is tied to Europe's and we want to do more. More trade.
More investment. More partnerships with countries that share our
interests.
“Economic growth and UK security cannot be separated.
Together, we are creating a safer, and more prosperous
Europe.”
The Chancellor will recognise that the global economy has changed
since last year's meeting in Brussels. She will push for fair,
enforceable trade rules and renewed shared action, noting that
growth, productivity and higher living standards are collective
goals.
Security challenges across Europe—including Putin's illegal
invasion of Ukraine and ongoing tensions in the Middle East—make
deeper defence partnerships more vital than ever. The UK-EU
Security Partnership agreed in May will help create the
preconditions for a safer, and more prosperous Europe.
Reeves will also reiterate that the UK remains committed to
securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, with £4.5 billion
being spent on military support to Ukraine this year – the UK's
highest ever level. She will call for better coordinated action
against Russian aggression by using UK and EU advantages in the
global financial system to provide more support to Ukraine.
The EU is the UK's closest partner and biggest market. In 2024,
almost half (46%) of the UK's total trade was with the EU. Around
94,500 UK businesses exported goods to the EU, and around 157,000
businesses imported goods.
The UK-EU deal, announced on 19 May this year, follows a
programme of reforms by the UK Government, which has made
economic growth its number one mission. Reforms include backing a
third runway at Heathrow Airport, greenlighting Europe's largest
theme park, ending a ban on onshore wind, and setting a target to
build 1.5 million new homes.
Through the growth mission, the UK is delivering stability,
reform, and investment, making the UK one of the most attractive
destinations for international investment.
