UK will have to make major changes to get workable Brexit deal
■ Britain’s unilateral single market bid dismissed out of hand
WHILE the EU and the Irish Government have broadly welcomed the publication of the UK’s white paper on Brexit, a strong consensus is emerging that Britain will have to move considerably for the plan to form the basis of a workable deal.
In a thinly veiled criticism of the proposals, the EU’s lead negotiator Michel Barnier tweeted that EU’s offer was an “ambitious Free Trade Agreement along with effective co-operation on a wide range of issues, including a strong security partnership”.
His response falls short of the reaction the UK government might have hoped for.
It dismisses out of hand the UK’s unilateral ambition to stay part of the single market for goods. The paper proposes a common rulebook to “underpin the free trade area for goods”.
According to EU sources, the free trade “economic partnership”, as proposed by the British, and designed to “protect the uniquely integrated supply chains”, is in all but name single market membership for goods.
An absolute red line for the EU is any attempt to dilute the single market.
The EU27 has been clear all along that the four pillars of the single market – the free movement of goods, services, people and capital – are non-negotiable.
Meanwhile the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on Brexit, Guy Verhofstadt, tweeted: “Welcome UK proposal. We will analyse White Paper in light of our priorities: #CitizensRights, an operational backstop for Ireland and a deep economic relationship based on the integrity of the Union and internal market.”
EU sources say the UK’s attempt to separate out the four principles will receive short shrift when the taskforce led by Mr Barnier sits down with their British counterparts for the formal resumption of talks on Monday.
“They’ll be very careful to manage this in public. Everyone can see how desperate things are in London,” one source told the Irish Independent.
“We will be a bit more cautious than having a harsh reaction, because domestically we need to give her room for manoeuvre.
“We’ll let it go for a week or two and give it oxygen or kill it.”
A major concern for the EU is that if the UK succeeds in receiving a bespoke arrangement – at the expense of the protection of the single market – then other member states may seek a similar arrangement.
“I regularly hear from governments in European capitals that if Britain gets a deal with all of the benefits and none of the responsibilities of the EU, that opposition parties in national parliaments will demand likewise. You could end up not only destabilising Europe, but national governments too,” said the source.
German MEP Manfred Weber, who is on a trip to Ireland to view the Border, told the Irish Independent that “after the month of uncertainty and the chaotic situation in London, we are just happy to have such a document”.
“It is the starting point of the negotiations. I cannot even imagine that this can be the final outcome. Is this really the UK position?” he asked.
He said when a member is leaving the EU, you have a “chaotic situation (but) the rest of Europe is united”: “So we are strong, and we are united.
“We have a clear position. It’s important to signal to our citizens, it’s very risky to leave the EU.”