[ad_1]
The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom on Thursday reached a historic agreement for the relationship in the era postbrexit, after almost a year of negotiation with a pandemic in between and only a week after the Community legislation ceased to be applied in British territory on January 1.
(In context: UK and EU reach historic post-Brexit deal).
The agreement covers not only trade in goods and services, but also a wide range of other areas of interest to the EU, such as investment, competition, state aid, tax transparency, air and road transport, energy and sustainability, fisheries, data protection and social security coordination.
In the absence of being made public in detail, some of its main points are known.
No fees or fees
After 47 years in the community club and three decades fully integrated into the single market, the United Kingdom risked seeing its products and services come under the general framework of the World Trade Organization (WHO), which on average It applies a 3% tariff, but in the automotive sector it rises to 10% and in some fresh products it exceeds 30%.
Finally, the agreement provides for the free exchange of goods and services without tariffs (tariffs) and without quotas (maximum volume of each product), although the result implies more restrictions than the norms currently in force during the so-called “transition period”, which is both blocks were awarded while negotiating the deal.
Competition and environment
One of the points of greatest disagreement between London and Brussels is what in the negotiations has been called a “level playing field”, that is, that the same standards are respected in aspects such as the competition rules that British companies must follow to ensure that they do not receive state aid that undermines the competitiveness of EU-based firms.
Therefore, the agreement on the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom after Brexit includes a dispute resolution mechanism to ensure fair competition between the two parties, through which Brussels may impose sanctions in the form of tariffs to London if it lowers its standards in areas such as the environment.
The UK will be able to do the same with the Twenty-Seven if it is the community club that approves looser standards.
Both parties are committed to ensuring sound and fair conditions of competition by maintaining high levels of protection in areas such as environmental protection, the fight against climate change and carbon pricing.
(Plus: Johnson’s most powerful adviser will leave Downing Street at the end of the year)
Key trade agreements
European Union fishing fleets will have to give in a quarter of its current quota in British waters over the next five years and a half, an official said Thursday.
Under the post-Brexit trade deal agreed with the UK, after this transition period, access to its rich fishing grounds will be negotiated annually.
Details of the species and areas affected by this percentage are not yet determined, the official added.
After this period of five and a half years, this access will be renegotiated annually. In addition, EU fishermen will maintain guaranteed access to the areas until 2026 within 6-12 nautical miles of traditionally frequented British shores.
The United Kingdom initially requested in the negotiations a cut of up to 80% in European fishing quotas, and a transition period of just three years. Catches by European fishermen in British waters amount to around € 650 million ($ 800 million) each year.
According to a report by the European Parliament, the fleets of eight EU countries fish 40% of the fish caught in the UK exclusive economic zone. Norway, which is not a member of the EU, is also present.
The fisheries dispute was, according to the sources consulted, the last and hardest obstacle to overcome in the post-Brexit negotiations, which achieved a historic trade agreement in ten months.
The residences
British living in other European countries and Europeans living in the UK will not be affected by their daily lives.
According to Michel Barnier, EU negotiator, these people “will be able to continue their lives as before in their country of residence.” The agreement is clear in prohibiting discrimination and promoting equality.
Some figures speak of approximately 1 million British living in Europe and 3 million Europeans living on British soil.
INTERNATIONAL DRAFTING *
With information from AFP and EFE
It may interest you:
– Without controls at Christmas, Venezuela increases risks in the middle of the pandemic
– Trump pardons more allies, including his son-in-law’s father
– Chile started this Thursday with the vaccination against the covid
