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It was a last-minute deal, but that didn’t stop the work: EU chief negotiator Barnier briefed the EU states on the Brexit trade deal. You should now quickly accept the 1246 page document.
Following the historic agreement on a trade pact between the EU and Great Britain, preparations are being made in Brussels for the provisional application of the agreement from January. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier briefed the ambassadors of the 27 EU states on the outcome of the months-long tough negotiations. Member states would now examine the 1246 pages of the treaty and “will continue this enormous task in the coming days,” wrote a spokesman for the German presidency of the EU Council on Twitter.
The EU and Britain agreed on the trade pact on Christmas Eve. For the treaty to enter into force at least temporarily at the turn of the year, the governments of all member states on the EU side must give the green light. For a complete ratification of the agreement, the approval of the European Parliament is necessary; However, given the limited time, it can no longer be obtained in time.
The federal cabinet wants to advise on Monday
Chancellor Angela Merkel had already promised on Thursday that she would now quickly examine the treaty text. The federal cabinet will agree on the German position by phone on Monday. “I’m very sure we have a good result here,” she said.
The treaty will regulate the relations between the EU and Great Britain from January 2021. The most important point is to avoid tariffs, allow unlimited trade in both directions and limit friction losses as much as possible. But it also regulates a number of other points, such as cooperation on security issues or participation in research programs.
Critical voices from the EU Parliament
Even if both parties are relieved that the deal has been reached, criticism of the timing is strong in the EU. “On the one hand, I am totally relieved that there is an agreement and that we will save ourselves the hard rest, but the procedure is absolutely chaotic,” said MEP Anna Cavazzini of the Greens. ARD studio Brussels. The fact that the EU Parliament can only debate and approve it after the treaty provisionally enters into force in January is causing disgust among MPs.
It is very likely that Parliament will approve the treaty, but “reluctantly”, as SPD MP Bernd Lange put it. The head of the European Parliament’s trade committee blames the British government of Boris Johnson for time pressure. As it became known in the afternoon, the EU ambassadors want to send the European Parliament a letter explaining the need for the extraordinary procedure.
Big rush on the British side too
In Britain, parliament will deal with the treaty on December 30. There is also no time for a detailed examination on the other side of the English Channel. However, Johnson need not fear a rebellion from his Brexit hardliners. Also, the prime minister has a solid majority in parliament. And the opposition Labor Party has also announced that it will vote in favor of the deal.
Even the head of the Brexit party, Nigel Farage, who had previously been eager to see what he saw as the proper execution of the exit from the EU, gave his blessing to the deal. It’s not perfect, “but overall the war is over,” he said.
Johnson talks “good news”
Johnson advised the British to read the complex work for the holidays. If you want to read something in this “moment of sleep after the Christmas meal,” he recommends reading the commercial pact, he jokingly said in a Christmas video message posted on Twitter. He held up a thick sheaf of paper, which he declared as “good news.” Brexit was the first step, the agreement was now “the celebration”. “Full of fish, by the way,” Johnson added.
Negotiations on EU fishermen’s access to UK territorial waters were one of the most sensitive issues, and this was the last to be resolved. Johnson had already shown himself to the press in a necktie decorated with fish on Christmas Eve. From the British government’s perspective, the current deal has achieved everything the British public wanted with the 2016 Brexit referendum. “We have regained control of our money, our borders, our laws, our trade and our fishing grounds,” he said government.
Big worries in business
Business representatives had repeatedly warned recently about the failure of the Brexit negotiations. Relief over the trade deal was even greater among them. However, the mood remains depressed: there are too many worries about the consequences of the deal.
The director of the German-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK), Ulrich Hoppe, warned that the economy had to adapt to “profound changes” despite the agreement. “From the first day after the Brexit transition phase, trade in goods and services will become more expensive and in some cases may even stall as a result,” Hoppe said.
The general manager of the BDI industry association, Joachim Lang, also emphasized: “The agreement is better than no agreement.” However, the pact means additional bureaucracy and unnecessary border paperwork for most companies.
Little time to read
The very little time left to read the entire document is also a cause for concern. “Many companies will violate the regulations because they are not yet familiar with the new flood of rules,” said York-Alexander von Massenbach of the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany from the dpa news agency. “The agreement comes too late for companies. Working on 2,000 pages of text in a few days and identifying the consequences is difficult to achieve,” says von Massenbach.
Reactions to the deal have also been mixed among British associations. The deal “will cause a collective sigh of relief from consumers across the UK,” said BRC Director Helen Dickinson. By contrast, the Food and Beverage Manufacturers Association FDF cautioned against applause too quickly. “We will wait with the celebrations until we have verified the details,” said FDF chief Ian Wright. He also criticized the industry for not having enough time to adjust to the new rules.
In the future, EU citizens will need a passport to enter the country.
The departure from Britain also has serious effects on other areas of life. Starting in October 2021, EU citizens will need a passport to enter Great Britain. Furthermore, the London government will withdraw from the EU Erasmus student exchange program. However, there will be no additional roaming charges, as announced by German mobile network providers.
With information from Stephan Ueberbach, ARD-Studio Brussels
