Brexit Weekly

18 May 2017



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Report by President Donald Tusk to the European Parliament on the Special European Council (Art. 50) of 29 April
Tusk reported on the outcome of the first formal meeting of the European Council of 27, in which the leaders' main purpose was to adopt political guidelines for the Brexit negotiations.   View Article
Brexit: MEPs want EU and UK to take care of citizens’ rights first
The EU and the UK government should negotiate a deal on the situation and rights of citizens as a matter of urgency and before starting the other Brexit talks, MEPs say.  View Article
Bloomberg: Trade talks depend on citizen protection, Brexit negotiator says
The European Parliament should oppose the start of talks on a trade arrangement with the UK if it’s not satisfied citizens’ future rights are protected, the legislature’s Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt said.  View Article
Financial Times: EU-Singapore investment deal requires member state ratification, rules ECJ
Europe’s top court has said EU member states must sign off on some issues related to investment in a key trade deal with Singapore, in a judgment that could set a precedent for a post-Brexit trade pact with the UK.  View Article
Bloomberg: The City of London after Brexit isn't just about jobs
Britain and the European Union have a common interest in financial infrastructure that works, in Bloomberg's view.  View Article
Financial Times: EU-managed control of euro clearing is not viable
Euro-denominated derivatives markets have to remain free of political influences, argues Barnabas Reynolds.  View Article
Bloomberg: EU tightens Brexit negotiating language as positions harden
The EU toughened its language on a future transitional arrangement that would help companies adapt to Britain’s new status, specified demands on citizens’ rights and clarified the role of European courts, according to the latest draft negotiating directives obtained by Bloomberg News.  View Article
Bloomberg: Brexit talks can't be secret, EU says in transparency push
The European Union is refusing to allow the upcoming Brexit talks to take place in secret, in a rebuff to UK appeals to keep positions confidential.  View Article
Bloomberg: UK needs to wake up to Brexit dangers, top EU lawmaker warns
Danuta Huebner, head of the European Parliament’s constitutional-affairs committee, said the British government is underestimating the difficulties of its upcoming talks on leaving the 28-nation EU and the cost of life outside the bloc.  View Article
Financial Times: Banks braced for ‘hundreds of millions’ in Brexit costs
Banks are bracing themselves for hundreds of millions in extra restructuring, funding and legal costs over the next few years to deal with the fallout from Brexit, senior executives have said.  View Article
Financial Times: Banks overconfident about capital strength, accountancy body warns
ICAEW has warned that banks and investors put too much confidence in key regulatory ratios designed to measure banks’ strength, as it issues new guidelines to encourage stronger auditing across the sector.  View Article
Institute for Government: Business as usual spells trouble on trade
The IfG paper Taking Back Control of Trade Policy says that despite the creation of a new trade department, the civil service and ministers are not even close to being ready to negotiate – let alone implement – new global trading relationships.  View Article
CIPS: Businesses preparing to sever supply chain ties between the UK and the EU to avoid Brexit tariffs
Businesses either side of the English Channel are preparing contingency plans which could sever supply chains between the UK and EU, according to the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS).   View Article
VoxEU: Options for a ‘Global Britain’ after Brexit
This column argues that the UK has no trade-enhancing alternative to an agreement with the EU that essentially mimics its current situation as an EU member.  View Article
74% of British businesses say “barrier-free trade with the EU” more important than “restricting the free movement of people” in Brexit talks
Survey of over 1,000 GS1 UK members highlights clear agenda of action for government during Brexit negotiations.  View Article
Migration Watch: EU Immigration, Post-Brexit – A Comprehensive Policy
Migration Watch recommended that, for some occupations that are below the skill level to qualify for a highly skilled work permit, such as plumbers or bricklayers, there may need to be a transitional period to give employers the time needed to train British replacements.   View Article
Andrew Duff: Brexit: Avoiding the vortex
The big question is: will the Article 50 negotiations work? Will there be a secession treaty to vote on at all? Or will the European Union simply pull out of the United Kingdom at midnight on 29 March 2019 causing a massive vortex?  View Article
Financial Times: EU’s Barnier: Ireland’s interest will be the Union’s interest
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has offered Ireland the full support of “a united EU” as it seeks to avoid a worst case scenario from the UK’s imminent departure from the bloc.  View Article
The Times: Scotland may rejoin EU in stages, says Nicola Sturgeon
An independent Scotland may adopt a “phased” approach to joining the EU by first agreeing a looser Norway-style relationship with Brussels, Nicola Sturgeon has said.  View Article
POLITICO: Brits more confident about Brexit negotiations
An increasing number of British voters believe Prime Minister Theresa May will get the right deal for the UK in the upcoming Brexit negotiations, according to an ORB poll.  View Article
YouGov: Forget 52%. The rise of the “Re-Leavers” mean the pro-Brexit electorate is 68%
The rise of the “Re-Leavers” – those who voted to Remain in the EU but think that the government has a duty to leave – mean that the Conservatives are fishing in a massive lake, while the other parties are casting their rods into a pond.  View Article
POLITICO: Most Germans want EU to take tough stance on Brexit
Respondents to a polling published in Die Welt want negotiations to focus on securing a good deal for the EU27.  View Article
Financial Times: Asset managers struggle with illiquidity trap
In meeting rooms across the City of London last June, property fund managers were making plans to deal with the unlikely event of a UK vote to leave the EU. They did not know how they would fare if waves of investors demanded their cash back.  View Article
ICAEW: Analysing the EU Exit Charge
Using the EU’s 2015 accounts, ICAEW outlined the potential bill due in March 2019 with three potential scenarios - high, low, and a more likely central scenario - once the rebate and money returning to the UK is accounted for.  View Article
Chatham House: Brexit: Implications for EU–China Relations
For Beijing, the EU–China relationship will take priority over UK–China ties – with China’s relative focus on Germany becoming even more significant.   View Article
EurActiv: An outside-the-box solution to Brexit and the Strasbourg seat
Relocating the EU’s UK-based agencies to Strasbourg and ending the European Parliament’s monthly travelling circus is a logical solution that would benefit everyone, argues MEP Bart Staes.  View Article
 

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