The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Transition deal ‘not a given’, warns Barnier
EU’s chief Brexit negotiator says disagreements remain – while Davis hits back over ‘unwise’ document
Agreement on a transition period to smooth Britain’s exit from the EU is “not a given”, Brussels’ chief Brexit negotiator has warned.
After the latest round of talks between officials in Brussels, Michel Barnier said three “substantial” disagreements – over EU citizens’ rights and EU rules – remain over the transition, expected to last around two years after withdrawal in March 2019.
Declaring himself “surprised” by the UK stance, Mr Barnier said Britain had to accept the “ineluctable consequences” of its own decision to quit the EU.
The atmosphere has soured since Brussels published a position paper which included a plan to restrict access to the single market if the UK fails to comply with the terms of the transition.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said it was “surprising” that Mr Barnier did not understand the UK’s position and accused Brussels of having a
Time is short – very short – and we haven’t a minute to lose if we want to succeed. MICHEL BARNIER
“fundamental contradiction” in approach to transition.
After the latest round of talks between officials in Brussels, Mr Barnier told reporters that stumbling blocks remained.
He said: “To be quite frank, if these disagreements persist, the transition is not a given. Time is short – very short – and we haven’t a minute to lose if we want to succeed.”
Mr Barnier also warned that checks at the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will be “unavoidable” under Theresa May’s plans for the UK to leave the single market and customs union.
He confirmed that Brussels is drawing up a legal definition of the regulatory alignment that must continue between Northern Ireland and the EU to avoid the creation of a hard border.
London had provided no proposals for the kind of technological fix which could get around this, he told a press conference in the Belgian capital.
The EU’s publication of a position paper on the proposed transition deal provoked fury from Mr Davis, who branded the document “discourteous” and “unwise”.
He did not travel to Brussels but responded in a statement claiming that the EU was trying to “have it both ways” over the transition by setting up a dispute resolution mechanism but dismissing a UK push for safeguards.
Mr Davis said the UK was seeking a “time-limited period that maintains access to each other’s markets on existing terms”. its