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Chancellor Rachel Reeves will today (Friday 18 September) attend the EU finance ministers meeting for the second time
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UK set to deepen ties in defence and trade, to create a safer, more prosperous Europe
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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
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 Rachel Reeves 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.
