A meeting of the Council's Working Party on the United Kingdom, scheduled for 7 July 2026, will address a UK request to join the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund and an EU action plan for the Channel migratory route, according to a notice of meeting and provisional agenda published by the Council on 2 July 2026.
The working party, which prepares EU positions on UK-related matters, will receive briefings from the European Commission on several topics. A debrief from the 6th meeting of the Specialised Committee on Air Transport, held on 10 June 2026, will cover developments in EU-UK air transport cooperation. Another debrief from the 3rd meeting of the Working Group on Organic Products, which took place on 25 June 2025, will update members on organic product trade and regulatory alignment.
The UK's request to participate in the EIC Fund, a venture capital arm of the European Innovation Council that invests in deep-tech startups, will be presented by the Commission. If approved, the move could deepen research collaboration but may require adjustments to EU funding rules, as non-EU countries typically face restrictions on accessing EU innovation funds.
Under the Common Understanding agenda item, the Commission will present the EU Action Plan for the Channel migratory route, which aims to address irregular migration across the English Channel. The plan could impact border management and migration policies between the EU and the UK, potentially affecting national authorities in coastal member states and the UK's border force.
The meeting outcomes may shape future EU-UK relations under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, with implications for regulatory alignment, market access, and security cooperation. No decisions are expected at the working party level, as its role is to prepare discussions for the Council's Foreign Affairs Council or Coreper.