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The Brexit trade agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom seems to be in process, it is “imminent” since yesterday but the official details of what is undoubtedly a commitment by both parties are not yet known. However, the government of Boris Johnson is already circulating among ministers and closest collaborators a document that praises what for the prime minister would be a clear victory over the European Union, which would have “made numerous concessions”: it even calculates a victory for the 43% in the thorniest spots for the British government, compared to a meager 20% for “London concessions” and another 40% for mutual concessions. The document, which “Repubblica” obtained from conservative circles, is now widely circulated online and the famous Brexiter site “Guido Fawkes”, generally very knowledgeable on these issues, confirms that it is authentic.
Specifically, the document, which is very technical, points out how the United Kingdom would have obtained a victory above all in customs matters and declarations, with a flow of exchanges that would continue to be more or less fluid with respect to the controls that the EU wanted to impose and on all in regard to the preservation of the single market. Very thorny issues, which would be such even in case of an agreement that avoided the dreaded No Deal (that is, the brutal exit of the United Kingdom from the EU on January 1) and that, according to the reading of the London version, would have been overcome. Furthermore, Johnson sings victory over competition rules, one of the most insurmountable obstacles in the negotiations between the EU and the UK so far: according to the document, EU laws will not have the power to decide London legislation in the future, not even in terms of “alignment”. , but in case of “divergences”, tariffs and punitive tariffs would be applied only in specific fields and an independent arbitration (and not European as the EU wanted) could resolve the disputes. Furthermore, the UK would have more freedom than expected in terms of state aid.
Brexit, EU sources: possible agreement in the next few hours
by Enrico Franceschini
Another victory, again according to London, would be that of legal services: that is, English companies will also be able to practice their profession in the EU with regard to Anglo-Saxon and international law. Boris Johnson’s government would claim to have partially earned financial services and the ability to “outsource” overseas to British companies. At the same time, however, the Johnson government document acknowledges a defeat for the fact that it was unable to reach a global and / or long-term agreement on finance and services with the EU: everything is updated as of March 1, 2021 for what is a very sensitive issue. The City of London would like to continue to maintain its financial leadership in the world, while the EU would like to exploit Brexit to oppose it with a pole of equal size and power, which is impossible in the short term due to the “structural” shortcomings of the Union on the ground. : A clear break with the City would also have repercussions for European finances. Hence what, of the document, seems to be an act of withdrawal on the part of both, at least temporarily.
But that the document is biased and that it will have to be proven by the real agreement, it is evident above all in the fisheries section, a patriotic issue, very delicate and intertwined with Scottish independence, which defines a “mutual concession” between the EU. and the United Kingdom based on an agreement on a “transition period of five and a half years” for European fishermen who will thus have time to reconvert their business, since London, in theory, will regain control of British waters from January 1, 2021. In reality, the five-and-a-half-year transition is not a mutual agreement, but a resounding defeat for Johnson, who wanted to regain full control of the waters, free of the European single market, immediately , in addition to staggering the accesses of EU fishermen annually (unacceptable for Europeans) and also requires them to return 80% of the catch (in goods or consideration) to the British. None of this, in fact (but not written on file) it appears that the compensation for the UK will be reduced to about 30% of the catch.
Of course, in any case this is internal government propaganda, and it remains to be seen how much this document will correspond to reality once the real post-Brexit deal between the UK and the EU, which is said to have a few, is discovered. two thousand pages. hence the enormous complexity of the story. On the other hand, French sources last night in Reuters spoke to the contrary of “enormous concessions on the part of the British in the last 48 hours, especially in fishing, hence the turning point.” In short, we will still have to know the truth. But it is clear that, being a historic but also very thorny compromise for both blocs, it is very likely that each government will try to sell it as best it can in front of its own public opinion. Whether it’s a realistic read or not.
