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Brexit: EU leaders hopeful of softer exit after Johnson landslide Brexit: EU leaders hopeful of softer exit after Johnson landslide
(about 4 hours later)
Bloc calls for swift ratification of withdrawal agreement following UK election resultBloc calls for swift ratification of withdrawal agreement following UK election result
EU leaders have expressed cautious confidence that Boris Johnson will pivot to back a close economic relationship with the bloc and called for swift ratification of the withdrawal agreement after the prime minister’s election triumph. Emmanuel Macron has warned Boris Johnson that the UK must remain “loyal” to EU standards post-Brexit for British companies to maintain access to the European market.
The size of Johnson’s majority was welcomed in Brussels, where the 27 heads of state and government have gathered for a two-day summit. In comments echoed by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, the French president demanded continued regulatory harmonisation as the price for protecting the flow of trade, a demand that will be a cause of concern for the Conservative government.
Charles Michel, the European council president, said he expected the withdrawal agreement to be passed through parliament within weeks to allow the UK to leave with a deal in 49 days’ time. Macron, who noted in an aside that his country would soon be the only nuclear power in the EU, told reporters: “If Boris Johnson wants a very ambitious trade deal, there has to be very ambitious regulatory convergence”, adding in English: “Be me guest.”
“We expect as soon as possible a vote by the British parliament on the withdrawal agreement,” Michel said. “It is important to have the clarity as soon as possible. We are ready. The EU will negotiate to ensure to have a close cooperation in the future with the UK.” “We do not want them to be an unfair competitor”, Macron said. “My message to the UK is that the more loyal we are vis-a-vis each other, the closer relationship we can have.
Earlier, the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said she would “immediately listen to the prime minister, the new prime minister, to be reassured what the pathway is”. “If the British prime minister and the British parliament want an ambitious trade deal, they know where the European standards are... The more they are attracted to reducing standards - on climate, social standards or anything else - the more they walk away from the European market, the more they will be away from us. The more ambitious the trade deal, the more we need regulatory harmonisation.”
The intervention from Macron came as the new commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned that the post-Brexit negotiations on the future relationship would drag on beyond 2020.
Johnson has said he will not extend the 11 month transition period, during which the UK will stay in the single market and customs union, but that this provides “ample” time for a comprehensive deal on the future relationship to be finalised.
Von der Leyen appeared to directly contradict the prime minister by warning that certain parts of the deal would need to be prioritised, including trade in goods, fisheries and security cooperation, but that others, potentially including the arrangements for the financial services sector, would be left for later.
“We will have to prioritise”, Von der Leyen said at the end of a two-day leaders’ summit in Brussels. “We will put specific focus on those issues that were an economic cliff edge at the end of 2020 if they would not be done. Why is that? These These are issues where we have neither a framework to fall back on nor the possibility to take unilateral contingency measures covering the period after 1 January 2021.”
Von der Leyen described the plan as a matter of “sequencing” adding that “there will be more emphasis on a certain ranking”.
The size of Johnson’s majority has been welcomed in Brussels, where the 27 heads of state and government have gathered for a two-day summit.
Charles Michel, the European council president, said he expected the withdrawal agreement to be passed through parliament within weeks to allow the UK to leave on 31 January.
“We expect as soon as possible a vote by the British parliament on the withdrawal agreement,” Michel said.
EU leaders believe the Conservative majority will give Johnson free rein to decide his negotiating objectives and compromise in the talks where necessary.EU leaders believe the Conservative majority will give Johnson free rein to decide his negotiating objectives and compromise in the talks where necessary.
Once the UK parliament has ratified the withdrawal agreement, the European parliament will give its consent in January before the UK’s departure at the end of the month. EU leaders are now waiting to see what incarnation of the prime minister will emerge now he is secure in Downing Street.
EU leaders are waiting to see what incarnation of the prime minister will emerge now he is secure in Downing Street.
Johnson had initially approached the negotiations on the withdrawal agreement with bullish, uncompromising talk, but swiftly broke his red lines to concede to a customs border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.Johnson had initially approached the negotiations on the withdrawal agreement with bullish, uncompromising talk, but swiftly broke his red lines to concede to a customs border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
The Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, hinted at private assurances from Johnson that he would sign up to EU standards in order to secure a trade deal.The Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, hinted at private assurances from Johnson that he would sign up to EU standards in order to secure a trade deal.
“I’d like that to ensure we still have tariff-free and quota-free trade between Britain and the EU and to have a set of minimum standards so that nobody feels that there’s unfair competition or anyone’s trying to undercut them when it comes to labour rights, environmental protection and issues like that,” he said. “And [from] my conversations with Mr Johnson, I think he’s probably in a similar space, so it’s a case of now getting on with it.“I’d like that to ensure we still have tariff-free and quota-free trade between Britain and the EU and to have a set of minimum standards so that nobody feels that there’s unfair competition or anyone’s trying to undercut them when it comes to labour rights, environmental protection and issues like that,” he said. “And [from] my conversations with Mr Johnson, I think he’s probably in a similar space, so it’s a case of now getting on with it.
“It’s a case of now getting on with it and I think the prospect is there to develop a new future economic partnership between the EU and UK, and one that’s going to be mighty and good for all of us.”“It’s a case of now getting on with it and I think the prospect is there to develop a new future economic partnership between the EU and UK, and one that’s going to be mighty and good for all of us.”
EU leaders are expected to issue a communique later on Friday saying “the future relationship will have to be based on a balance of rights and obligations and ensure a level playing field”.
Brussels wants the British government to sign up to EU environment, tax, work and social standards as it seeks “to establish as close as possible a future relationship with the UK”, according to a leaked draft of the document.
There is a debate among the EU27 and with the European commission on what might be possible to negotiate between 31 January, when the UK is expected to leave, and the end of the transition period 11 months later.There is a debate among the EU27 and with the European commission on what might be possible to negotiate between 31 January, when the UK is expected to leave, and the end of the transition period 11 months later.
Johnson has said he will not extend the transition period, as would be permissible under the terms of the withdrawal agreement, beyond the end of 2020.
The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, who has been confirmed in his post, has said that as a result, there is insufficient time to complete negotiations on a comprehensive deal and trade will need to be prioritised, leaving other issues such as cooperation on services and transport for later.
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, conceded at the summit that it would be “quite a challenge given the short time available” to find agreement even on trade by the end of next year. “We have to discuss the precise approach to these negotiations,” he said.The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, conceded at the summit that it would be “quite a challenge given the short time available” to find agreement even on trade by the end of next year. “We have to discuss the precise approach to these negotiations,” he said.
Belgium’s prime minister, Sophie Wilmès, said: “We have to give a clear mandate to Michel Barnier to negotiate what our relationship will be.” The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said her government would be pushing hard to maintain access to UK waters for Denmark’s fishing industry. “There is no doubt that fishing really matters,” she said.
The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said her government would be pushing hard to maintain access to UK waters for Denmark’s fishing industry. “When it comes to Brexit, fishing is particularly important for Denmark, because it is a profession that depends on good cooperation with the countries that share the same fishing area. So there is no doubt that fishing really matters,” she said.
Satisfaction that there will now be clarity from the UK over the next steps has, however, been tempered by sadness at the its imminent departure.Satisfaction that there will now be clarity from the UK over the next steps has, however, been tempered by sadness at the its imminent departure.
The Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, said: “It is obviously a giant success for Boris Johnson. He is a charismatic leader. He won and now they will leave, unfortunately. That is bad news for Europe.”The Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, said: “It is obviously a giant success for Boris Johnson. He is a charismatic leader. He won and now they will leave, unfortunately. That is bad news for Europe.”