Reducing trade barriers and border frictions is essential to protect European jobs and maintain deeply integrated cross-channel supply chains. Currently, businesses face extensive administrative burdens, paperwork, and costly border delays to prove regulatory alignment, frictions that ultimately put wages and employment at risk across the continent.

Building on ongoing discussions regarding food standards, the unions argue that the EU and UK should actively pursue mutual agreements to align standards in other critical economic sectors.

ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said:

"A deeper EU-UK partnership is a vital opportunity to expand quality jobs and foster shared prosperity, but it must be firmly rooted in social progress.

"For workers, achieving a Level Playing Field 2.0 is essential to safeguard hard-won protections and ensure benefits for all workers in EU and UK. Unions on both sides will continue to work together to achieve this.

"By establishing a dialogue on standards and ensuring any closer relationship guarantees a level playing field and full respect for workers and trade union rights, we provide all workers with an insurance policy for the future, especially as our economic sectors integrate further.

“True economic resilience and security across Europe can only be built on a foundation of social justice, strong social dialogue, and robust protections for working people."

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“The case for a closer relationship with the EU is undeniable - especially in a volatile global economy, with an unpredictable US president who has slapped arbitrary tariffs on Britain and threatened more.

“It’s plain common sense. Just look at the damage to our economy and living standards ten years on from the referendum result – the Conservatives’ botched Brexit agreement set workers and business back at home and abroad.

“The government has started to do the hard yards and rebuild our relationship with the EU. Ministers must continue with a bold approach to this reset.

“Fundamentally that means delivering jobs first agreements that reduce trading barriers in key sectors like chemicals and pharmaceuticals. This will help rip off the red tape which is damaging British firms and threatening British jobs.

“And it means upholding mutual high standards on workers’ rights between the UK and EU. British and European unions stand ready to work with governments on both sides of the Channel to achieve these goals.”

ETUC press release:EN