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The European Union’s top Brexit negotiator has said there has been no change in Britain’s position on future relations negotiations following his informal meeting with UK’s top negotiator David Frost in London this week.
Mr. Barnier made the remarks in a comprehensive but depressing assessment of the negotiations during a virtual address to the Institute for Economic and International Affairs.
He said the UK has so far “failed to commit constructively” to the EU conditions for a deal, especially on what it called “credible guarantees” of open and fair competition between the two parties after Brexit.
Barnier accused the UK of showing no willingness to compromise on the fisheries issue and said London had been “extremely reluctant” to explore a dispute resolution mechanism that both sides could adhere to in the future.
He said that overall, the UK wanted a clear break with the EU, but still wanted to access key parts of the EU single market without meeting its obligations.
Any unfair advantage for the UK could affect tens of thousands of jobs in the EU, he said, including jobs in Ireland.
“Of course, Ireland’s particularly close relationship with the UK makes these questions even more important, especially for companies exporting to Britain or competing with British companies,” he told the IIEA.
“Any trade and economic partnership between economies as close and interconnected as ours must include solid and credible mechanisms to avoid trade distortions and unfair competitive advantages,” he said.
“This is particularly important in the area of state aid, where the potential to distort competition through subsidies is significant,” he added.
“A level playing field that ensures high common standards in areas such as labor rights and the environment, and with effective national law enforcement and dispute resolution mechanisms, is the only way to start a new relationship between the EU and the EU. UK on a strong and sustainable footing, “Barnier said.
On fisheries, Barnier said the EU was willing to compromise, but the UK had shown no willingness to advance its initial position.
“However, the UK government’s position would exclude Irish fishermen and women from the waters in which they fished long before Ireland or the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973,” he said.
“And, of course, fishermen and women from many other EU countries. That is simply not acceptable,” he added.
“We fully understand and respect that the UK will become an independent coastal state, outside the Common Fisheries Policy. But we will not accept that the work and livelihoods of these men and women are used as a bargaining chip in these negotiations. “, said. set.
Any solution, Barnier said, must ensure a balance between greater access to fish stocks for UK fishing fleets and “safeguarding the activities and livelihoods of European fishermen and women.”
“Without a long-term, fair and sustainable solution in fisheries, there will simply be no new economic partnership with the UK,” he warned.
Barnier also said he would miss the role played by former Irish commissioner Phil Hogan, who resigned under dramatic circumstances last week.
“In this context, I will miss Phil Hogan, who I could always count on to convey any concerns from Ireland very directly to me over the past four years,” he said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to warmly thank you for all the work you have done for Europe as Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development and more recently as Commissioner for Trade,” he said.
“Particularly in the context of the current negotiations with the UK where he and his team of trade experts, including Sabine Weyand, have been invaluable. I used to meet him once a week as Trade Commissioner. And I look forward to working with the future Commissioner for Irish nationality in the final stretch of negotiations with the UK, ”he added.
Barnier said he was convinced British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wanted a deal, but the EU would not agree to a deal that would undermine the single market “for the sole benefit of the UK.”
He said work was continuing to find a solution to the land bridge issue, whereby Irish carriers transport goods to the rest of the EU via the UK.
However, he warned that there were concerns about the availability of UK ports and that transport operators, carriers and exporters would have to “adapt” to a new situation.
Barnier said that many urgent preparations remained to be completed to ensure the Irish Protocol can enter into force on January 1.
He warned that full implementation of the Protocol was needed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland and ensure the continuation of the whole Irish economy.
The EU side now doubts that a deal can be sealed in time for approval at the October 15-16 summit of the bloc’s 27 national leaders in Brussels and Barnier also said the strict deadline was the end of that. month to allow sufficient time for ratification by 2021.
“We have no more time to waste,” Barnier said.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said UK and EU negotiators had a useful review of the agenda for the Brexit talks at a meeting this week.
But he added that there are still “great difficulties” to overcome to move forward.
“They had a useful review of the entire agenda of our talks, but as I said, there are still great difficulties,” the spokesman said, referring to a meeting of British negotiator David Frost and Michael Barnier, the European Union negotiator.
“The EU’s insistence on progress on state aid and fisheries is an obstacle to progress overall, but we remain in close contact with the EU and look forward to the next round of talks in London next week,” he added .
Additional reports from Reuters
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