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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Macron says a bespoke trade deal between the UK and EU is possible | Macron says a bespoke trade deal between the UK and EU is possible |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| French president says UK would have to accept ‘preconditions’ to access a special solution | |
| Nicola Slawson | Nicola Slawson |
| Sat 20 Jan 2018 11.49 GMT | Sat 20 Jan 2018 11.49 GMT |
| Last modified on Sat 20 Jan 2018 12.27 GMT | |
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| Emmanuel Macron has said it would be possible for Britain to secure a bespoke trade deal but only if the UK accepts certain “preconditions”. | |
| The French president said that while a special solution could be secured, full access to the single market without accepting its rules was “not feasible”. | The French president said that while a special solution could be secured, full access to the single market without accepting its rules was “not feasible”. |
| The comments were made during an interview recorded for BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday. Macron has been in the UK for his first visit since taking office. | The comments were made during an interview recorded for BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday. Macron has been in the UK for his first visit since taking office. |
| On Thursday, at the end of a joint press conference with Theresa May at Sandhurst military training college, he rejected the idea of a tailored Brexit deal for Britain’s financial services sector. Macron said full access to EU markets would not be possible unless the UK paid into the EU budget and accepted all its rules. | |
| Roughly £71bn of goods and services were traded between the two countries in 2016. France has the upper hand: the UK exported £33.8bn to France but imported £37.6bn. Exports to France have fallen by about 9% over the last decade, while imports are roughly flat. France is Britain's third-largest export market. | |
| There is an appreciation on both sides of the Channel for what each country does well: Britain is the largest importer of champagne, while more than 28m Harry Potter books have gone the other way. France is the second biggest European food exporter to the UK and accounts for 20% of dairy imports. There were more than 500 French restaurants in Britain in 2017, 54 of them in the Michelin Guide. Among the most common UK exports are cars, chemicals and financial services. France is a big exporter of aircraft, machinery and cars. | |
| About 150,000 British citizens live in France, while 155,000 French nationals are settled in the UK. Banking is the most common type of employment for French people in Britain, with the vast majority of them living in London and the south-east; there are 15 accredited French schools in the UK, 13 of which are in London. Roughly a quarter of all British citizens in France live in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. | |
| The French make about 4m visits a year to the UK, making them the number one nationality of foreign visitors. About 11 million tourists visit France every year from the UK, more than from any other country. | |
| More than 1,000 subsidiaries of British companies were based in France in 2014, generating 195,000 jobs. French companies with major operations in Britain include the energy giant EDF and the utilities firm Veolia. | |
| Angela Monaghan | |
| In the interview with Marr, he said there was “a competition between different countries” to attract financial services companies in the future and that France wanted “to attract the maximum activity”. | In the interview with Marr, he said there was “a competition between different countries” to attract financial services companies in the future and that France wanted “to attract the maximum activity”. |
| The Brexit secretary, David Davis, has said he is seeking a “Canada plus plus plus” arrangement, based on the EU-Canada trade treaty, but with additional access for services. However, EU negotiators have stressed that Britain would not be allowed to “cherry-pick” sectors. | |
| Pressed on whether there would be a bespoke special solution for the UK, Macron said: “Sure, but … this special way should be consistent with the preservation of the single market and our collective interests. | Pressed on whether there would be a bespoke special solution for the UK, Macron said: “Sure, but … this special way should be consistent with the preservation of the single market and our collective interests. |
| “And you should understand that you cannot, by definition, have the full access to the single market if you don’t tick the box.” | “And you should understand that you cannot, by definition, have the full access to the single market if you don’t tick the box.” |
| He added: “So it’s something perhaps between this full access and a trade agreement.” | He added: “So it’s something perhaps between this full access and a trade agreement.” |
| He stressed that the UK would not be able to gain access to the single market without first agreeing to “preconditions”, which would include freedom of movement, budget contributions and the jurisdiction of the European court of justice. | He stressed that the UK would not be able to gain access to the single market without first agreeing to “preconditions”, which would include freedom of movement, budget contributions and the jurisdiction of the European court of justice. |
| He said: “There should be no cherry-picking in the single market because that’s a dismantling of the single market. | He said: “There should be no cherry-picking in the single market because that’s a dismantling of the single market. |
| “As soon as you decide not to join the [EU] preconditions it’s not a full access. What is important is to not make people believe that it is possible to [have your cake and eat it].” | “As soon as you decide not to join the [EU] preconditions it’s not a full access. What is important is to not make people believe that it is possible to [have your cake and eat it].” |
| In the interview, which will be broadcast in full on Sunday morning, Macron also said the door was still open for Brexit to be reversed, saying EU member states would become 27 “unhappily”. | In the interview, which will be broadcast in full on Sunday morning, Macron also said the door was still open for Brexit to be reversed, saying EU member states would become 27 “unhappily”. |
| Asked if it was inevitable that Britain would leave, he replied: “I mean, it’s on your own. It depends on you. I mean, I do respect this vote, I do regret this vote, and I would love to welcome you again.” | Asked if it was inevitable that Britain would leave, he replied: “I mean, it’s on your own. It depends on you. I mean, I do respect this vote, I do regret this vote, and I would love to welcome you again.” |
| Brexit | |
| Emmanuel Macron | Emmanuel Macron |
| France | |
| Andrew Marr | Andrew Marr |
| European Union | European Union |
| Europe | |
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