EU warns of tough post-Brexit talks with Britain

The EU’s top official told Britain yesterday that it could lose its open access to the European market if it refused to extend post-Brexit partnership talks beyond 2020.

Ursula von der Leyen’s warning to Prime Minister Boris Johnson came ahead of their first meeting in her capacity as European Commission president—and with Britain’s departure from the EU just three weeks away.

Both sides are eager to move on from the tumult and acrimony that followed Britain’s decision in a 2016 referendum to end its decades-long membership of the bloc.

Johnson secured a comfortable majority in parliament in a December election and is virtually assured that his divorce deal will finally be approved by January 31.

But that leaves just 11 months until the end of 2020 for London and Brussels to agree a new economic partnership covering everything from trade to data protection rules.

“There will be tough talks ahead and each side will do what is best for them,” von der Leyen said in a keynote speech at the London School of Economics, where she studied in the 1970s.

“It is basically impossible to negotiate all I have been mentioning and the other dossiers there, too. Therefore, we will have to prioritise, as long as we face that deadline of end of 2020.”

Downing Street said Tuesday that Johnson would tell von der Leyen at their meeting that “there will be no extension” to the deadline.

Britain will keep following EU rules and paying its membership fees during the transition talks.

“Having waited for over three years to get Brexit done, both British and EU citizens rightly expect negotiations on an ambitious free trade agreement to conclude on time,” Downing Street said.

Von der Leyen countered on Wednesday that this meant Britain would probably lose unfettered access to its closest trading partner after 2020.

“With every choice comes a consequence. With every decision comes a trade-off,” she said. “The more divergence there is the more distant the partnership has to be.”

She said her top priority was making sure there was no “hard exit” in which the sides walk away without any agreement at all.

 

EU warns of tough post-Brexit talks with Britain

The EUs top official told Britain yesterday that it could lose its open access to the European market if it refused to extend post-Brexit partnership talks beyond 2020. Ursula von der Leyens warning to Prime Minister Boris Johnson came ahead of their first meeting in her capacity as European Commission presidentand with Britains departure from the EU just three weeks away. Both sides are eager to move on from the tumult and acrimony that followed Britains decision in a 2016 referendum to end its decades-long membership of the bloc. Johnson secured a comfortable majority in parliament in a December election and is virtually assured that his divorce deal will finally be approved by January 31. But that leaves just 11 months until the end of 2020 for London and Brussels to agree a new economic partnership covering everything from trade to data protection rules. There will be tough talks ahead and each side will do what is best for them, von der Leyen said in a keynote speech at the London School of Economics, where she studied in the 1970s. It is basically impossible to negotiate all I have been mentioning and the other dossiers there, too. Therefore, we will have to prioritise, as long as we face that deadline of end of 2020. Downing Street said Tuesday that Johnson would tell von der Leyen at their meeting that there will be no extension to the deadline. Britain will keep following EU rules and paying its membership fees during the transition talks. Having waited for over three years to get Brexit done, both British and EU citizens rightly expect negotiations on an ambitious free trade agreement to conclude on time, Downing Street said. Von der Leyen countered on Wednesday that this meant Britain would probably lose unfettered access to its closest trading partner after 2020. With every choice comes a consequence. With every decision comes a trade-off, she said. The more divergence there is the more distant the partnership has to be. She said her top priority was making sure there was no hard exit in which the sides walk away without any agreement at all.