EU and UK adopt three Joint Committee decisions and set a deadline for Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas work

The European Union and the United Kingdom held a meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee in Brussels on 10 November, adopting three decisions and agreeing to finish work on the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus by the committee’s next meeting. The UK government published the joint statement of the two co-chairs, UK Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations Hamish Falconer and European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.

The meeting took stock of how the Withdrawal Agreement has been implemented since the previous Joint Committee on 2 February 2026. The co-chairs reaffirmed what they called a shared commitment to the full, timely and faithful implementation of the agreement in all its parts.

What the co-chairs said on the Sovereign Base Areas

The statement says the co-chairs discussed the technical progress made under the Specialised Committee on the Protocol relating to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, and agreed that it is important to finalise that work by the next meeting of the Joint Committee. The statement gives no further detail on the content of the talks or on a date for the next meeting.

Citizens’ rights and Northern Ireland

On citizens’ rights, the co-chairs noted that almost 6 million EU citizens and 1 million UK nationals are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. They stressed the need for a smooth transition from temporary to permanent residence over the course of 2027, and said they would step up work on structural issues affecting the everyday lives of citizens, including social security coordination.

On Northern Ireland, they recalled the role of the Windsor Framework in avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and in protecting the EU Single Market. They welcomed progress on consumer parcels sent to Northern Ireland, protected access to steel for Northern Ireland traders and simplified duty-related schemes for goods that stay in the UK, and agreed to strengthen efforts on sanitary and phytosanitary measures so that all agri-foods are moved in line with Windsor Framework rules.

Decisions adopted

The Joint Committee adopted three decisions, relating to Social Security Coordination, Artificial Intelligence and Forced Labour. According to the notes attached to the statement, these are Decision No 2/2026, which amends Part I of Annex I to the Agreement, and Decisions No 3/2026 and No 4/2026, each adding a newly adopted Union act to Annex 2 to the Windsor Framework.

The co-chairs also welcomed an EU-UK declaration on the application of Windsor Framework provisions. It clarifies that handling fees for consumer parcels would be treated like customs duties, so that they would not be paid on goods staying in the UK and any fees would be collected and kept by UK authorities for goods at risk of entering the EU. On the Cyber Resilience Act, which is to be added to the Windsor Framework, they agreed to examine all possibilities to maintain the good functioning of the Framework and to take the needed decisions in the future. The Joint Committee Annual Report for 2025 was adopted as well.

Summit on 20 November

The statement describes the Withdrawal Agreement, together with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the recent Agreement in respect of Gibraltar, as a solid foundation for strengthening bilateral relations in view of the EU-UK Summit on 20 November 2026. The co-chairs agreed to continue working at pace on implementation before that date.