European Union imposes annual 1 billion euro payment on Britain for single market access

The British newspaper "The Times" revealed that the European Union informed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that London must make annual payments in exchange for access to the EU's internal market.

The publication stated: "European negotiators have made it clear that paying the money, which is expected to amount to 1 billion British pounds (approximately 1.15 billion euros) annually, is a condition for continued access to the EU single market."

According to the newspaper, the European Union wants Starmer to agree to this condition during a summit with European leaders in the summer, after which both sides are expected to begin negotiations on further integration.

In May 2025, Britain and the European Union concluded an agreement to deepen the partnership as part of a "reset of relations" after the Kingdom's exit from the European Union. The agreements included: "a permanent agreement on phytosanitary standards, a deal on access to fishing waters, and a veterinary agreement that removed obstacles to the export of agricultural and fish products to the European market." In contrast, British authorities ruled out the possibility of joining a Customs Union with the European Union.

In November 2025, the "Financial Times" newspaper, quoting European diplomats, revealed that the European Union, for the first time since Britain's exit, wants to ask it to start paying money to the structural funds of the integrative bloc in exchange for access to the internal market, as other partners do.

It also became known in the same month that the European Commission asked the United Kingdom to pay an amount ranging between 4 and 6.5 billion euros for access to the SAFE credit facility for the development of the defense industry, but the British leadership refused to do so, and sovereign compensation is part of Starmer's promised "reset" plan.

It is worth noting that Britain officially left the European Union on January 31, 2020, and ended the transitional period on December 31, 2020, which led to the imposition of trade restrictions between the two sides. Starmer's (Labour) government, since taking office in June 2024, has sought to reduce trade friction with the bloc and deepen relations, which is now clashing with new financial conditions that anger many Conservative MPs and Eurosceptic citizens.

No official comment has yet been issued by the British government on the new European condition, but sources described the talks as "still at an early stage."

Source: RT