The state of UK-EU relations is the core focus of our work. As the two sides embark upon a ‘reset’ of relations; against an increasingly uncertain geopolitical backdrop, there is a pressing need for research on the options for economic and security cooperation, alongside analysis of the potential impacts of any new agreements. 

To support this agenda, we work on several thematic pillars. 

• Foreign policy: how are the UK and EU responding to global threats and challenges? 

• Security and defence:  what are the challenges for the UK and the EU in building a strong pan-European defence industrial base? 

• Economics: how could changes to the EU relationship affect the government’s push for economic growth? 

• Regulation: to what extent is the UK aligning with or diverging from the EU in regulatory terms, and what is the impact of this? 

• Devolution: how are relations between Westminster and the devolved governments changing in a post-Brexit context? 

• Public opinion: are public perceptions of Brexit changing and how do the public feel about the UK-EU relationship? 

• UK politics: how does the UK-EU relationship intersect with politics in the UK? 

• European politics: how do political developments within the European Union and its member states impact on the UK and the wider geopolitical picture? 

• Multilateralism: how can the EU and the UK work together to preserve the overarching multilateral frameworks for international cooperation in areas like climate change, global health, or humanitarian aid in a context in which the US is withdrawing from these institutions?