The Daily Telegraph

Door to EU still open for UK, says Barnier

Michel Barnier, ex-brexit negotiator, warns tearing up Brussels law would make re-entry harder

- By James Crisp, Nick Gutteridge and Joe Barnes

The door is open for the UK to rejoin the EU “any time”, Michel Barnier said yesterday, before warning Britain not to tear up European laws. The former Brexit negotiator said the process of joining the EU and the Single Market would mean accepting freedom of movement, and the supremacy of EU law and the ECJ. “Brexit is a failure for the EU,” he told a think tank before adding that if there was too much “divergence” from EU law, rejoining “will be more difficult”.

THE door is open for the UK to rejoin the EU “any time”, Michel Barnier said yesterday, before warning Britain not to tear up European laws after Brexit.

The former Brexit negotiator said that the lengthy process of joining the EU and the Single Market would mean accepting freedom of movement, and the supremacy of EU law and the ECJ.

“Brexit is a failure for the EU,” he said at the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, before warning if there was too much “divergence” from EU law, rejoining “will be more difficult.” Yesterday the European Commission told 27 EU ambassador­s in Brussels that European judges will keep their power over Northern Ireland in the new Brexit deal.

Officials rebutted reports an agreement was struck reducing their role, leading to fears Rishi Sunak will cave in over the European Court of Justice in the Northern Ireland Protocol talks.

Veteran Euroscepti­c backbenche­rs have revived the European Foundation, think tank, which was originally set up to support the Maastricht rebellion in the 1990s, to hold the Prime Minister’s feet to the fire.

Sir Bill Cash said it would focus on “protecting our sovereignt­y” while also “repelling the Remainers”, who are “on the march”, arguing for Britain to rejoin the EU.

In London, Mr Barnier said: “The door to the EU side will remain open any time for you,” adding: “Though everybody knows the conditions.” The lengthy process of joining the EU and the Single Market means accepting freedom of movement, and the supremacy of EU law and the ECJ.

The Government plans to overhaul UK financial services regulation­s to the City of London’s advantage and to repeal retained EU laws, as part of what it calls “Brexit freedoms”.

But, under the terms of the Protocol, Northern Ireland continues to follow hundreds of Single Market rules to prevent the need for a hard border with EU member Ireland.

Checks to ensure British goods and animals sent to Northern Ireland meet those EU rules are carried out in the Irish Sea rather than Ireland.

The UK wants to reduce the checks because they are chilling trade with Northern Ireland, which has access to the Single Market on condition the ECJ oversees EU law in the province.

The Prime Minister is prepared to accept the ECJ remains the final arbiter of EU law in Northern Ireland but wants it put at arm’s length.

British negotiator­s want the EU to commit to discussing any dispute with the UK to try to resolve it before referring the UK to the ECJ as a fig leaf to obscure their influence.

EU diplomats said the ECJ remained n red line for influentia­l capitals, such as Paris and Berlin.

“The idea there is a deal or a breakthrou­gh is nonsense,” a diplomat from one member state said, as other sources pushed back hard against deal claims they branded British “kite-flying”.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said no deal had been struck but that she had a trusting and “excellent relationsh­ip” with the Prime Minister.

“Our teams are working together to find solutions to have in the very end an implementa­tion of a common framework,” she said, “these are very constructi­ve talks.”

A Foreign, Commonweal­th & Developmen­t Office source said officials were still engaged in “intensive scoping talks” with Brussels.

Secret talks continue over the role of the ECJ, state aid, VAT rules and animal and plant health rules.

A deal on customs is close but further negotiatio­ns are still needed on how proposed “red and green” lanes for goods destined for Northern Ireland only will work.

Brussels has accepted the UK won’t sign up to its EU animal and plant rules in a Swiss-style deal, which would dramatical­ly reduce the number of veterinary checks.

The Daily Telegraph understand­s UK and EU officials are going line by line through individual animal and plant products in granular detail to look for ways to reduce border checks.

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