The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has hit out at Britain’s stance on future trade talks, revealing the depths of Brussels’ frustrations with perceived backsliding by prime minister Boris Johnson only days before the start of trade negotiations.
Michel Barnier warned Britain “not to go backwards when we should be going forwards,” insisting the UK should not be surprised by EU demands that any trade deal is underpinned by common rules in areas such as environmental policy and state aid.
Speaking after EU ministers adopted their negotiating mandate for the talks, Mr Barnier said the requirements were already set out in a political declaration on future relations that Britain signed up to as part of the Withdrawal Agreement “less than six months ago”.
Agitated, the Frenchman repeatedly banged his podium as he insisted that “all the words count” in the declaration, which was “agreed by the British prime minister”.
The comments underline Brussels’ concern that the EU and the UK are heading in different directions as they embark on trade negotiations that will take place against a punishing deadline.
Britain has accused the EU of reneging on the offer of a “Canada-style” trade deal by stipulating level-playing conditions that go far beyond agreements the bloc has with other partners such as Canada and Japan.
Brussels in turn is wary that Britain is seeking to wriggle out of the kind of extensive partnership set out in the political declaration — a text that is legally non-binding but that EU officials insist was agreed in good faith.
British officials countered that even the EU was not treating the political declaration as “a tablet of stone”, noting that the Brussels negotiating mandate did not include a previous commitment to prepare a new regime for financial services by June 30.
The EU is also worried that Britain is playing down obligations it signed up to in its Brexit divorce deal, notably to impose checks on goods trade with Northern Ireland.
Mr Barnier took aim at what he said were “astonishing statements” from Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis suggesting that trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK would not be impeded by last year’s deal. “We always said there will not be a border down the Irish Sea, there’ll be unfettered access for business,” Mr Lewis said.
Responding to those remarks, Mr Barnier said: “I would be happy to meet him, whenever he wants. In the meantime, I would like him to take the time to read the Withdrawal Agreement.”
He went on to warn that “trust” would be essential if the new negotiations are to succeed in delivering a deal before Britain’s post-Brexit transition period expires at the end of this year.
The British government has said that the EU negotiating mandate, published on Tuesday, sets out an unacceptable vision of the two sides’ future partnership.
The text says Britain will have to commit to keep its own rulemaking in areas such as environmental policy and labour law broadly in line with EU regulations as they evolve “over time”. It would also have to continue to apply the EU’s system of restrictions on state aid.
Downing Street noted on Twitter that the EU had not tried to impose those kind of conditions on the US during trade talks, but Mr Barnier countered that the two economies were much further apart than Calais and Dover.
He also challenged comments from a UK government spokesperson this week that Britain’s “primary objective in the negotiations” is to restore its “economic and political independence”. “I was surprised to read that in the mouth of a Downing Street spokesman,” he said. “This does not need to be negotiated. It is there, we respect it, it is the object of Brexit.”
On Tuesday, senior UK ministers signed off Britain’s negotiating mandate for an EU trade deal, with Downing Street saying it hoped it would pave the way for “constructive” talks beginning next week in Brussels.8
Number 10 said Britain would seek a deal “based on other existing free trade agreements between the EU and like-minded sovereign nations”.
The UK negotiating mandate was agreed by the “XS” cabinet committee — senior ministers led by Mr Johnson overseeing the trade talks — and will be published in parliament on Thursday.
Mr Barnier said negotiations would begin in Brussels on Monday afternoon.
