• UK joins France-Germany-Spain defence export control treaty, easing licence approvals and allowing up to 20% UK content without delay.
• Move aligns with UK efforts to boost defence exports and deepen security ties, including new deals and regional engagements.
• Accession was slowed by post-Brexit political frictions despite earlier UK support for closer defence-industrial cooperation with Europe.

Britain has entered the Agreement on Defence Export Controls today (10 December) which will make it easier to grant export licences with France, Germany and Spain.

The treaty, originially formed between France and Germany in September 2021, and later Spain, provides a structured approach for improved cooperation among participants and is designed to provide surety to their respective defence industries at a time of global tension and increased military demand.

British manufacturers are now able to integrate a proportion of their products, below a certain percentage agreed upon in advance, which the UK House of Lords cites a de minimis threshold of 20%, to a final armament system ‘without delay’.

However, should a nation voice opposition to a particular export case as it compromises its direct interests or its national security then the concerned party has two months to inform partner nations.

UK defence activity to date

In a press release today, the UK Government noted that its accession comes after a sizeable frigate deal with Norway and a notable contract selling Typhoons to Türkiye. Luke Pollard, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry hoped that ‘this new Treaty will make it easier for the UK to export our world class platforms’.

This move also comes at a time when the UK is flexing its diplomatic and defence ties in the South Caucasus where defence minister Lord Coaker opened a defence section in Armenia and engagements in Azerbaijan.

This year, the UK appointed its first resident defence attachés to both countries and announced the full lifting of the 30-year-old arms embargo on both countries.

Why take so long to join?

Considering the UK Government’s claims to pursue closer defence cooperation with allies and partners in the Strategic Defence Review in June and the Defence Industrial Strategy in September, it is strange the country had not joined the agreement before now.

In fact, the House of Lords International Agreements Committee welcomed the treaty in October 2025, arguing:

"While the Agreement maintains the rigour of UK strategic export controls, it could enable the avoidance of some problems which have arisen in projects involving multi-national supply chains. We report it to the House for information."

The UK requested to join on 18 April 2023, and the French government later accepted the request on 25 June 2025. The agreement was then laid before Parliament on 1 September.

This lengthy wait may have come about due to a lack of political will after enduring difficulties to form a mutual partnership with the European Union (EU) in the last several years.

In May, the UK and EU were unable to agree on any substantial defence ties as part of a wider post-Brexit partnership. It was not unnoticed that both sides merely agreed to extend negotiations further when it came to the possibility of opening up the EU’s €150bn (£126bn) SAFE defence fund to British suppliers.