[ad_1]
Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief negotiator, agreed to isolate police and judicial cooperation from possible sanctions in the event of future trade disputes with Great Britain. According to EU sources, the Brussels diplomat said he would reluctantly withdraw a lawsuit that would allow the bloc to suspend future security collaborations after any dispute over economic sections of a future relationship pact. Barnier’s allies have described the move as a significant concession in an attempt to unblock the dispute over a post-Brexit deal.
Details of the compromise emerged as the Frenchman is in talks with his British counterpart Lord Frost ahead of the mid-November deadline to find a deal.
UK and EU officials are said to be in advanced talks about so-called “governance” mechanisms to oversee any future trade and security pacts.
Lord Frost, the prime minister’s envoy for Brexit, has rejected Brussels’ demands to ensure the bloc has the power to “cross-retaliate” on different sections of the deal in the event of a dispute.
Under Barnier’s original plan, the EU could slap Britain in the face with trade sanctions if there is a disagreement over post-Brexit fishing rights.
But the Frenchman has admitted that it would be unfair to withdraw police and judicial cooperation as part of any possible punishment.
However, it refused to abandon “cross-suspension” demands in the areas of so-called level playing field, transport, energy and fisheries, essentially allowing the EU to clamp down on most sections of the world. agreement as part of a dispute.
Discussions over dispute resolution mechanisms to control any future deals have been described as a “serious problem”, according to EU sources.
After negotiations in Brussels broke down last week, both sides agreed to hold additional sessions between Barnier and Lord Frost’s top MPs devoted to governance structures.
The issue remains one of the top three sticking points preventing significant progress in the Brexit negotiations.
Future access to Britain’s fishing waters and controls on status subsidies also threaten to derail negotiations.
Downing Street was forced to demand more “realism” from Brussels by recognizing Britain’s status as an independent coastal state in the dispute over fisheries.
MUST READ: Special relationship BACK! Biden telephones Boris before France
Lord Frost warns that the EU fleet faces a blockade of British waters if there is a no-deal Brexit.
A government spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, we have not achieved as much as we hoped during this intensive process. We can only move forward if the EU accepts the reality that the UK will have the right to control access to its waters later this year.
“We are calling for a simple and separate fisheries framework agreement that reflects our rights under international law and provides for annual negotiations on access and exchange of opportunities based on the scientific principle of zonal linkage.
“This is fully in line with the existing precedent of the current EU fisheries agreement with Norway. The EU also does not seem to have realized the magnitude of the change in fishing rights they face if there is no agreement ”.
[ad_2]
