The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Extract a post-Brexit agreement from Boris Johnson, Michel Barnier's impossible mission?

2020-12-01T20:42:36.679Z


The chief negotiator of the European Union has only one month left to reach an agreement with the British, which will define the rela


When disembarking from the Eurostar in London (Great Britain) on Friday October 27, after a week of videoconferences due to cases of Covid-19 in his team, Michel Barnier, "negative" test carried out, white mask on his nose and Satchel full of thick files under my arm, do not know how many days will last this last lap of the Brexit marathon started four years ago.

"We are not far from the moment

Take it or leave it

(Editor's note: take it or leave it),

" he warned just before his departure, he who likes to stuff his words with formulas in English.

The mission - impossible?

- the European Union's chief negotiator is to wrest from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson an agreement overseeing post-Brexit relations with the United Kingdom.

And this before December 31 at midnight, when the transition period will end: since their official departure from the European Union (EU) on January 31, the British have indeed continued to apply European standards.

Constantly moved back (it should have been initially mid-October!) As the differences remain deep between the two sides of the Channel, the deadline is imperative this time.

Especially since before entering into force, a possible agreement must be examined and ratified by the British Parliament on the one hand, by the leaders of the 27 and the European Parliament on the other.

“We are ready to sit between December 24 and 31,” says LREM-Renew MEP Stéphane Séjourné.

An agreement "still possible"

At the London conference center, the EU's “Mr. Brexit” met up with his British counterpart David Frost, “BoJo's” trusted negotiator.

Less peremptory than his boss swearing that the island could just as well "prosper" without a treaty, this former Foreign Office, familiar with Brussels, believes an agreement "still possible".

Joined this Monday by Le Parisien after a weekend of discussions, Michel Barnier confirms, qualifying his Friday alert.

"We are not in the state of mind of a

take it or leave it

," he tells us.

We really want to use the very last useful days this week to find a fair deal on the key topics of our economic partnership.

We have been working towards this goal without interruption for twenty-eight days, the last four weekends included, ”he insists.

More than 600 pages of a text providing for 700 - without the appendices - would be written ...

The key topics?

"Reciprocal access to territorial waters and markets, fair competition and governance to settle future disputes", summarizes Michel Barnier.

Until the recent dismissal by Bojo of Dominic Cummings, his “ultra-Brexit” adviser, the British strategy aimed at dividing Europeans by delegitimizing their “Mr. Brexit”.

In vain, Michel Barnier having succeeded, by dint of pedagogy and transparency of his action, to maintain the unity of the 27. Nevertheless, in this final phase, some States are advancing “circumvention strategies”, slips an elected official. European.

Avoid the economic shock of "no deal"

Example, fishing.

Access to British fish-bearing waters is crucial for Breton or Norman shipowners, often at the head of two or three trawlers.

However Boris Johnson wants to limit this fishing, even making a symbolic stake while this sector is rather secondary for the British.

"Result, the Netherlands, rather followers of large factory ships, are preparing to pass ships under the British flag", continues this expert.

In London, Michel Barnier offers in compromise a reduction of 15 to 18% of the catches… but the French fishermen balk.

Can Boris Johnson afford a "no deal"?

Politically, he is weakened by the defeat of his great ally Donald Trump, who dangled him with a privileged trade agreement with the United States.

And the fear of seeing the re-emergence of customs tariffs, quotas for the exchange of goods and restrictions on movement for workers and students grips many Britons, aware that their country exports more than half of its wealth to the European Union, against less. by 10% in reverse.

A no deal would be an economic shock on both sides.

"The European Union wants an agreement ... but not at any price," concludes Michel Barnier.

Source: leparis

All news articles on 2020-12-01

You may like

News/Politics 2024-02-01T05:29:21.230Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.