EU-UK security deal will not be tied to fishing rights, both sides insist

European Commission ‘has not set preconditions’ ahead of summit where a partnership for €150bn defence procurement is expected to be forged

The European Commission and UK government are moving closer to a defence deal that will open the door to British arms firms being able to reap bigger potential rewards from a €150bn (£129bn) EU fund, but both sides insisted it was not tied to fishing rights.

An EU-UK defence pact is likely to be the highlight of the first post-Brexit summit in May, but has been dogged by questions over how far member states will insist on linking security to a separate agreement on fisheries.