Since 2020, Europe has been gripped by crises that have reshaped its political, economic, and security landscape. From a once-in-a-century pandemic to the largest war on the continent since 1945, and the most severe energy shock since the 1970s, the past few years have been anything but tranquil. This tumultuous backdrop frames the forthcoming renegotiation of the 2020 EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), a deal hastily crafted to define the post-Brexit relationship.

As both sides prepare to revisit this agreement, the stakes are high. Despite the agreement’s foundational role, its limitations have become increasingly apparent, highlighting the need for a more robust and enduring framework for collaboration.

The TCA, finalized in just eight months, was a “bare-bones” solution that prioritized expediency over comprehensiveness. Spearheaded by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, it reflected the political reality of a hard Brexit, where the UK sought significant separation from the EU’s regulatory frameworks.

However, this approach led to a historic anomaly: rather than reducing trade barriers, the agreement erected new ones. For instance, the deal’s narrow focus on goods-where the EU holds a trade surplus-neglected key areas like services, where the UK excels. The service sector, which constitutes a significant portion of both the UK and EU economies, was left largely unaddressed, creating structural impediments that persist to this day.

Additionally, the agreement excluded defense and security cooperation, a surprising omission given the shared interests of London and Brussels in these areas. Despite initial discussions about UK participation in EU military........

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