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Tuesday, December 22, 2020
A longer transition period for Brexit?
EU politicians make Johnson aware
British Prime Minister Johnson wants nothing to do with a prolonged transitional period surrounding Britain’s exit from the European Union. Therefore, EU MPs are increasing the pressure, as they consider that the UK is “currently bearing two burdens”.
Top EU MPs have called on Britain to agree to an extended Brexit transition period in light of the coronavirus mutation. Britain is “twice overloaded,” said Parliamentary Deputy Speaker Katarina Barley of the SPD’s Germany Publishing Network (RND). If an agreement is reached with the EU on future relations before the end of the year, “it would be sensible to examine it calmly” and to continue to fully apply the internal market rules during the short transition period.
The EU’s hand for a temporary extension of the transition phase is “always extended”, Barley stressed. It is up to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “take this hand now”. The previous transition period, during which Great Britain remains fully part of the internal market despite its exit from the EU, expires at the end of the year.
“Constructive and pragmatic”
The head of the Brexit group in the European Parliament, David McAllister, said: “We want to take all necessary measures to minimize distortions for our citizens and businesses. We are also concerned about the critical situation surrounding the corona virus.” It’s about “working constructively and pragmatically on viable solutions.”
The chairman of the European Parliament’s trade committee, Bernd Lange of the SPD, also told the RND that in view of the new mutation of the virus, the best solution would be for Britain to agree to an extension of the transition period. But he does not have “high hopes” of this happening.
Negotiators from the EU and the UK continued their trade deal negotiations on Monday. But the EU Parliament declared that timely ratification of a potential deal is no longer feasible.
The main points of contention in the negotiations for months have been fair competition, control of a future deal and access to British waters for EU fishermen. While significant progress had recently been made on the first two hotspots, the fisheries issue remained difficult to the end.
Brexit “no deal” increasingly likely
Britain left the EU on February 1. To avoid serious consequences for the economy at the end of the current transition period before the end of the year, a trade agreement must be negotiated within the transition period.
The deadline set by the EU Parliament for a finished text expired Sunday night. Should an agreement be reached in the next few days, it may enter into force on a provisional basis and only be ratified later. However, time is running out for that too: EU circles said that the provisional application of a deal from January 1 would only be feasible if an agreement was reached before Christmas.
Alternatively, a “no-deal scenario” threatens tariffs and other trade barriers at the borders with the UK from 1 January. Cut travel connections between Britain and the rest of Europe due to fears of the spread of the mutated variant of the coronavirus, which has so far been mainly found in southern England, are already providing a preview of this.
