Overview

• Keir Starmer and Pedro Sánchez will sign a memorandum of understanding that sets regularized cooperation across the economy, social policy, tourism, climate, migration and mobility.
• A business roundtable at No. 10 brings together firms such as Aena, Telefónica, Indra, Navantia, Santander and Iberia with UK companies including BP and Octopus Energy, with Rachel Reeves and Carlos Cuerpo participating and an advisory committee under consideration.
• Defense and security industrial ties are a priority, with both governments looking to build consortia in areas like cybersecurity and telecoms using EU financing tools such as SAFE.
• On Gibraltar, Brussels and both capitals expect the legal text in October with ratification aimed for December and the physical frontier potentially coming down in early 2026.
• The agenda also covers irregular migration, the war in Ukraine and the Gaza crisis; Starmer has signaled possible recognition of a Palestinian state, and reports indicate the memorandum will not include a specific Palestine provision.