The remarks were seized on by leave supporters who fear a betrayal of the referendum vote, while others argue Reeves won't go far enough.
The Guardian asked experts in several sectors what they want from the EU/UK summit in 2025.
Music and the arts
'We need to resolve Brexit disaster'
"UK musicians and their crew previously found it easy to play a concert in Paris one night and Amsterdam the next, yet since Brexit this has all changed.
"The increased bureaucracy, costs and complexity of touring the EU have now put the UK music industry at a competitive disadvantage compared with other European countries. The ability for young and up-and-coming artists to nurture their craft and hone their skills across the UK's biggest music market has been dealt a huge blow over the last few years in particular.
"A new deal would tackle the absence of a specific settlement for musicians in the original EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
"A bespoke deal could offer a number of solutions, including a visa-waiver agreement for creators on short term visits.
"Other pieces of red tape could also be addressed in a bespoke UK-EU cultural touring agreement.
"The music industry is worth £7.6bn to the economy, but the ability of the sector to grow this figure, as well as its impressive export revenues which have increased by 15%, will be severely damaged if urgent action is not taken in resolving music's Brexit disaster." UK Music chief executive, Tom Kiehl
Horticulture
'Brexit has caused delays and damage... a reset is vital'
This story is from the December 14, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the December 14, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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