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Barnier says Brexit transition talks likely to exceed 2020 deadline EU signals it is likely to give UK a Brexit delay up to 31 January
(about 3 hours later)
Michel Barnier has fuelled MPs’ fears of a no-deal Brexit at the end of 2020 after suggesting future negotiations on a trade deal might require more than three years of talks. The EU has signalled it is likely to give the UK a Brexit delay up to 31 January after the Commons voted to slow down Boris Johnson’s charge to ratify the new withdrawal deal.
Speaking to the European parliament, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator appeared to concede the 14-month transition period would not allow time to reach agreement on a new trade and security arrangement. He said such talks could take “three years or more”. Moments after MPs rejected the prime minister’s timetable for passing the withdrawal agreement, a spokeswoman for the European commission made a pointed reference to the new exit date sought in the extension request sent on Saturday.
The current transition period, during which the UK will stay in the single market and customs union but not be part of the EU’s decision-making bodies, finishes at the end of December 2020. “The European commission takes note of tonight’s result and expects the UK government to inform us about the next steps,” the spokeswoman said. “Donald Tusk [president of the European council] is consulting leaders on the UK’s request for an extension until 31 January 2020.”
The withdrawal agreement allows for the transition period to be extended by “one to two years” but Boris Johnson has said he will not trigger such a prolongation. After MPs dealt their latest blow on Tuesday to the government’s hopes of leaving the EU by 31 October, Johnson had said he would speak to Europe’s heads of state and government and pause the Brexit legislation until he had an answer with regard to an extension from Brussels.
There is growing concern among MPs that voting through the withdrawal agreement without amendment will create a new cliff-edge over which pro-Brexit MPs could manoeuvre to get the UK out of the EU’s structures without a deal. Johnson said earlier in the day that he would seek a general election if the EU gave a three-month extension to the UK’s membership. EU sources suggested that Brussels would seek to avoid being dragged into a domestic row by offering a flexible extension that would allow the UK to leave on ratification of the deal.
The former Conservative MP Nick Boles has tabled an amendment that would force the government of the day to automatically extend the transition period to 2022 if a trade deal is not ready to come into force at the end of 2020. During a debate in the European parliament, Tusk in effect confirmed the EU would grant a Brexit delay beyond 31 October, with the terms of the extension of UK membership depending on developments in Westminster.
During a debate in the European parliament, Barnier told MEPs, in response to comments from Nigel Farage, the leader of the Brexit party, that the “rebuilding” arrangements with the UK would take years to complete. He told MEPs in Strasbourg the EU would respond to the government’s extension request in “the coming days”.
He said: “What we are doing at the moment is unpicking 44 years of cooperation … I was surprised by Mr Farage … saying that this agreement opens doors to three further years of negotiation. Well, of course.
“We are going to have to negotiate beyond Brexit, and the divorce settlement, maybe two, three or more years for some areas to rebuild everything that has had to be unpicked as a result of those who wish [for] Brexit.
“And we have to get a balanced agreement following all of the rules to avoid tax, social and environmental dumping. And we have to make sure that we have universities, Erasmus, police, judicial, security, defence cooperation. Foreign policy as well.”
Barnier was appointed on Tuesday as the head of a new European commission taskforce for relations with the United Kingdom which will engage in the next phase of negotiations if the UK leaves with a withdrawal agreement.
He was speaking in Strasbourg after Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, in effect confirmed the EU would grant a Brexit delay beyond 31 October, with the terms of the extension of UK membership depending on developments in Westminster.
He told MEPs in Strasbourg that the EU would respond to the government’s extension request in “the coming days”.
Tusk said: “The situation is quite complex following events over the weekend in the UK and the British request for an extension of the article 50 process.Tusk said: “The situation is quite complex following events over the weekend in the UK and the British request for an extension of the article 50 process.
“I’m consulting the leaders on how to react and will decide in the coming days. It’s obvious that the result of these consultations will very much depend on what the British parliament decides or doesn’t decide.“I’m consulting the leaders on how to react and will decide in the coming days. It’s obvious that the result of these consultations will very much depend on what the British parliament decides or doesn’t decide.
“We should be ready for every scenario but one thing must be clear, as I said to Prime Minister Johnson on Saturday, a no-deal Brexit will never be our decision.”“We should be ready for every scenario but one thing must be clear, as I said to Prime Minister Johnson on Saturday, a no-deal Brexit will never be our decision.”
After several MEPs backed a further delay during a debate in the European parliament, Tusk reiterated his backing for an extension. “Thank for your responsible position on Brexit and the extension,” he said. “After what I have heard today in this chamber, I have no doubt that we should treat the British request for an extension in all seriousness.” After several MEPs backed a further delay during a debate, Tusk reiterated his backing for an extension. “Thank you for your responsible position on Brexit and the extension,” he said. “After what I have heard today in this chamber, I have no doubt that we should treat the British request for an extension in all seriousness.”
The EU Withdrawal (No 2) Act, often referred to as the Benn act, is a law that was passed by MPs in an attempt to prevent Boris Johnson's government leaving the EU without a deal. The Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, expressed the EU’s relief that the Brexit deal had received MPs’ concern in a vote on the second reading.
It specifies that by 19 October the government must have either secured a deal that parliament has approved, or secured explicit approval from parliament to leave without a deal. He said: “It’s welcome that the House of Commons voted by a clear majority in favour of legislation needed to enact the withdrawal agreement. We will now await further developments from London and Brussels about next steps including the timetable for the legislation and the need for an extension.”
If neither of those conditions are met – and if Johnson cannot get his deal passed on 'super Saturday' – it requires the prime minister to write to the EU to ask for a further Brexit extension. The form of the letter that the prime minister must send is set out in full in the act.
The act says the extension should last until 31 January 2020, or longer if the EU suggests.
Here is the full text of the European Union (Withdrawal) (No 2) Act 2019
Martin Belam
An extra hurdle to the UK leaving by 31 October appeared to be put in the way by Guy Verhofstadt, the coordinator of the European parliament’s Brexit steering group.An extra hurdle to the UK leaving by 31 October appeared to be put in the way by Guy Verhofstadt, the coordinator of the European parliament’s Brexit steering group.
He told MEPs that the chamber should withhold its approval for the deal until further assurances were received over the UK government’s treatment of EU citizens, including 200,000 people who are regarded as being vulnerable. He told MEPs the chamber should withhold its approval for the deal until further assurances were received over the UK government’s treatment of EU citizens, including 200,000 people who are regarded as being vulnerable.
“We do not want EU citizens involved in another Windrush scandal in Britain,” the former prime minister of Belgium said. “That cannot happen.”“We do not want EU citizens involved in another Windrush scandal in Britain,” the former prime minister of Belgium said. “That cannot happen.”
In comments that will antagonise the Democratic Unionist party, which is opposing the revised deal, Tusk said the agreement struck had been possible due to Johnson’s acceptance of a border being drawn in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.In comments that will antagonise the Democratic Unionist party, which is opposing the revised deal, Tusk said the agreement struck had been possible due to Johnson’s acceptance of a border being drawn in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
“[The deal] is based on the deal that we agreed with the previous government,” Tusk said. “The changes concern the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland formerly known as the backstop.“[The deal] is based on the deal that we agreed with the previous government,” Tusk said. “The changes concern the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland formerly known as the backstop.
“Prime Minister Johnson’s acceptance to have customs checks at the points of entry into Northern Ireland will allow us to avoid border checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland and will ensure the integrity of the single market.”“Prime Minister Johnson’s acceptance to have customs checks at the points of entry into Northern Ireland will allow us to avoid border checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland and will ensure the integrity of the single market.”
The president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said the EU had done all it could to find a compromise, a process he described as “a waste of time and waste of energy”. Speaking in the same debate, the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, fuelled MPs’ fears of a no-deal Brexit at the end of 2020 after suggesting future negotiations on a trade deal might require more than three years of talks.
The European parliament will not vote on the Brexit deal this Thursday, as had been planned. He appeared to concede the 14-month transition period would not allow time to reach agreement on a new trade and security arrangement. He said such talks could take “three years or more”.
An extraordinary session of the chamber could be called as late as 31 October if Westminster passes the withdrawal agreement through all the legislative stages in both the Commons and the House of Lords. The current transition period, during which the UK will stay in the single market and customs union but not be part of the EU’s decision-making bodies, finishes at the end of December 2020.
The withdrawal agreement allows for the transition period to be extended by “one to two years” but Boris Johnson has said he will not trigger such a prolongation.
There is growing concern among MPs that voting through the withdrawal agreement without amendment will create a new cliff-edge over which pro-Brexit MPs could manoeuvre to get the UK out of the EU’s structures without a deal.
Barnier told MEPs, in response to comments from Nigel Farage, the leader of the Brexit party, that the “rebuilding” arrangements with the UK would take years to complete.
He said: “What we are doing at the moment is unpicking 44 years of cooperation … I was surprised by Mr Farage … saying that this agreement opens doors to three further years of negotiation. Well, of course.
“We are going to have to negotiate beyond Brexit, and the divorce settlement, maybe two, three or more years for some areas to rebuild everything that has had to be unpicked as a result of those who wish [for] Brexit.
“And we have to get a balanced agreement following all of the rules to avoid tax, social and environmental dumping. And we have to make sure that we have universities, Erasmus [the EU student exchange programme], police, judicial, security, defence cooperation. Foreign policy as well.”
Barnier was appointed on Tuesday as the head of a new European commission taskforce for relations with the UK which will engage in the next phase of negotiations if the nation leaves with a withdrawal agreement.
BrexitBrexit
Michel BarnierMichel Barnier
European UnionEuropean Union
Donald TuskDonald Tusk
European commissionEuropean commission
Jean-Claude JunckerJean-Claude Juncker
Boris JohnsonBoris Johnson
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