10 June 2020

Bloomberg: Brexit Impasse Grows as EU Resists Changing Barnier Mandate

Brussels envoys unanimously reject demands to change negotiating mandate and allow the bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator to offer more concessions to the U.K. Bloc’s chief negotiator accuses Britain of intransigence

“The EU and its 27 Member States stand united behind the EU mandate and Negotiator,” according to a memo circulated to delegations following the discussion and obtained by Bloomberg on Wednesday. The memo depicts a situation of “limited progress” in negotiations so far, accusing the U.K. of a “pick and choose” approach and calling for increased preparedness for the event of a chaotic separation at the end of the year.

 

 

 

 

The EU’s refusal is a blow to British hopes that Barnier would get more room to compromise, and dims the prospects of an imminent breakthrough. Adding to the bleak picture, two of the officials said that the timing of a high-level call between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the leaders of EU institutions, supposed to inject momentum in the stalled negotiation, is uncertain, as Britain rejected an offer to hold it on Monday. Talks on the timing of the call continue.

 

 

 

 

Barnier said the U.K. would crash out of the European single market on Jan. 1 unless the British government scales back opposition to key EU demands. These include the bloc’s insistence that any deal include provisions on fishing rights, fair competition and dispute settlement.

“There are still major hurdles ahead of us,” Barnier told an EU advisory panel on Wednesday in Brussels. “We can find the necessary compromises on the condition that the U.K. changes its approach and accepts a proper balance of rights, benefits, obligations and legally binding constraints.”

Bloomberg

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