On Monday, the British and Europeans began five weeks of negotiations to set up post-Brexit relations.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to be fixed in July on the possibility of a compromise. (Photo JESSICA TAYLOR / UK PARLIAMENT / AFP)
AFP
The British and Europeans are cautiously optimistic when they begin five weeks of intense negotiations on Monday, aimed at finally making progress on the post-Brexit relationship and avoiding a catastrophic “no deal” at the end of the year.
Their talks begin with a five-day physical meeting in Brussels, the first since March. They will continue every week, alternately in London and in the Belgian capital, until the end of July.
The intensification of the discussions, by mutual agreement between London and Brussels, should make it possible to give them “a new impetus”, after four rounds of negotiations troubled by the coronavirus and without major advances.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to be fixed in July on the possibility of a compromise. “The sooner we reach an agreement, the better. There is no reason why the outline of a political agreement cannot be defined over the summer, “insisted a British official.
This ambitious prospect has, however, been politely rejected by the Europeans, who are currently focused on their post-coronavirus recovery plan, and who consider October to be the real “moment of truth” in Brexit.
“This is when we will have to be ready to present a draft agreement (…) if we want it to be ratified before the end of the year,” said European negotiator Michel Barnier, during an intervention last week in front of the European Policy Center (EPC).
The United Kingdom, which left the EU on January 31, continues to apply European rules until December 31.
If no agreement is negotiated by then, the only rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), with their high tariffs and extensive customs controls, would apply to trade relations between these partners. What weaken economies already hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Positive signals”
Michel Barnier, who is awaiting “a signal” from the British this week, has promised to be “constructive” and even “to be creative in finding common ground”.
“We will go to Brussels in good faith to take account of the concerns of the EU,” replied his British counterpart, David Frost, on Twitter.
“It must be a real negotiation and some of the unrealistic positions of the EU will have to change,” added David Frost, promoted Sunday to national security adviser to Boris Johnson, but who will keep his role as a negotiator on Brexit .
The discussions will begin Monday morning with a meeting between the two men and will continue all week with short sessions, in select committee, on the most problematic subjects.
“They will concern a few dozen people, at a more political level than previously, to make arbitrations and thus define landing zones,” said a source close to the discussions.
Among the major points of disagreement is the question of the guarantees of fair competition required by the EU in fiscal, social or environmental matters, to avoid seeing the emergence of a deregulated economy at its doorstep.
“If the United Kingdom does not want a regulation comparable to that of Europe in the field of environment, labor market or social standards, our relations will lose intensity,” warned German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday. an interview with the daily newspapers of the Europa network, including Le Monde. And he will have to “bear the consequences”, she added.
Likewise, negotiators will this week discuss the place of the EU Court of Justice in the future text, access to British waters for European fishermen, as well as the form of the agreement: either a very broad scope, covering all areas of the relationship, as desired by the Europeans, or a simple trade agreement with small sectoral agreements as demanded by the British.
(AFP/NXP)
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