Brussels accuses London of selfish obstinance in Brexit talks

 

Brussels accuses London of selfish obstinance in Brexit talks

 

The stalemate is familiar but the rhetoric just gets sharper.

 

By BARBARA MOENS 9/2/20, 9:24 PM CET Updated 9/3/20, 6:54 PM CET

https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-accuses-london-of-selfish-obstinance-in-brexit-talks/

 

Give in — at least a bit — or there will be no future relationship.

 

That was EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier's message to London on Wednesday, just hours after he got back from another U.K. trip that didn't yield a breakthrough in the Brexit talks.

 

In a speech to Irish think tank the Institute of International and European Affairs on Wednesday, Barnier said London had refused to make even the most basic concessions needed to meet the EU's main preconditions for a deal, particularly on the most sensitive issues such as fisheries and a so-called level playing field to prevent Britain from gaining an advantage by diverging from EU regulations and standards.

 

In recent weeks, pessimism has mounted in Brussels over the prospects of a deal, which Barnier said must be reached by October to be in place for the end of the U.K.'s transition period on December 31.

 

U.K. negotiators, however, argue that unless the EU27 give way on state aid rules, Britain would be better off walking away without a deal. David Frost, the U.K.'s chief negotiator, said last month that Brussels' position was now that talks could not substantively progress in any area until the U.K. backs down and accepts "continuity with EU state aid and fisheries policy." Downing Street — determined in particular to have leeway on state subsidies to assist the coronavirus recovery — insist it will do no such thing.

 

"It's normal that the U.K. wants to set its own standard and rules. But if these serve to distort competition with us, then we have a problem" — Michel Barnier

 

As happened often in the Brexit process, Brussels feels that it has the upper hand in the negotiations. Barnier stressed the huge economic consequences of no deal and wished people in the U.K. talking about the opportunity of no deal "good luck, good luck."

 

The tight calendar is not the only factor adding pressure on the British side. EU27 leaders are largely focused on the continuing coronavirus pandemic and accompanying economic crisis and seem to have little bandwidth for Brexit.

 

No one can rule out that Barnier's pessimistic comments, which he has repeated across Europe this week in talks with capitals and EU diplomats, are a strategy designed to push London to give in and avoid a cliff edge at the end of the year.

 

But if that's the case, it's a risky bet.

 

 

The political dynamic in Britain has changed substantially since Brexit talks began in 2017. The current U.K. administration was victorious in the Brexit referendum and was elected in a landslide to deliver on the result.

 

That Prime Minister Boris Johnson didn't use the pandemic as an excuse to extend the transition period — which stunned many in Brussels — was only one example of that shift in the U.K.'s Brexit policy.

 

Blame game

Barnier, who has voiced his frustration on several occasions over recent months, was particularly biting in his criticism. On fisheries, for example, he said that "without a long-term, fair and sustainable solution on fisheries, there will simply be no new economic partnership with the U.K."

 

He added that “contrary to media reports, the U.K. position has not evolved in the past months. No new legal texts have been tabled [put forward] by U.K. negotiators.”

 

He also accused London of selfish obstinance, explaining that London says it wants a clean break from the EU on some issues, while at the same time seeks continuity in others. "The U.K. government is still looking to keep the benefits of the EU and of the single market without the obligations," Barnier said.

 

Looking ahead to the formal round of talks in London next week, the EU's chief negotiator reiterated an agreement is still his goal, but not at any cost. "We will not sacrifice — never sacrifice — the EU's long-term economic and political interests for the sole benefit of the U.K.

 

"In past months, the EU has repeatedly shown flexibility and creativity to work with the U.K.'s red lines," the former French minister said. He gave concrete examples of where Brussels has given in, such as on the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union. "It's time for the U.K. to reciprocate on those issues that are fundamental for the EU.

 

"It's normal that the U.K. wants to set its own standard and rules. But if these serve to distort competition with us, then we have a problem," he added.

 

However, officials in London were quick to hit back.

 

“I would say that’s a deliberate and misleading caricature of our proposals aimed at deflecting scrutiny from the EU’s own positions, which are wholly unrealistic and unprecedented," a U.K. official said. "For our part, we have been consistently clear that we are seeking a relationship that respects our sovereignty and which has a free-trade agreement at its core, similar to those the EU has already agreed with like-minded countries.”

 

Negotiating tactics aside, both sides are now eyeing the very real possibility that they unwillingly drive off the Brexit cliff.

 

Cristina Gallardo contributed reporting.