Michel Barnier is up now unveiling the EU’s draft mandate for the trade talks with the UK. He says Britain’s exit on Friday night was a ‘very sombre and emotional moment but also an opportunity for a new start, for a new relationship’. 
Barnier says: 'Our aim is to conclude an ambitious partnership with the UK but we will remain clear-headed. The most ambitious partnership is the one that we had because we were in the same Union.'
Barnier: 'The UK will no longer be able to benefit from the rights and economic advantages which are the preserve of a Member State if indeed on the 31st of December the UK decides to leave the Single Market and the Customs Union. That's the framework that constrains us.'
Barnier: 'Ready to offer a highly ambitious trade deal including zero tariffs and zero quotas on all goods'. Also 'an ambitious agreement on services with wide sectoral coverage' plus 'digital trade, intellectual property, and access to our respective public procurement markets'.
Barnier: 'We are ready to offer all this even though we know there will be strong competition between the UK and EU. Competition is normal but because of our geographical proximity and economic interdependence this exceptional offer is conditional on at least two things...
...first we need to make sure competition is and remains open and fair. We have already agreed with PM Johnson our Future Partnership will prevent unfair competitive advantages. We must now agree on specific & effective guarantees to ensure a Level Playing Field over long-term...
...That means mechanisms to uphold the high standards we have on social, environmental, climate, tax, and state aid matters today and in their future developments.'
Barnier continues: 'Our FTA must include an agreement on fisheries. This agreement should provide for continued reciprocal access to markets and to waters with stable quota shares.'
Barnier says: 'If you can agree on this as well as robust commitments towards a LPF and necessary enforcement mechanism we will achieve a very ambitious free and fair agreement.' But he warns even with the best deal there will still be 2 separate markets and regulatory checks.
Barnier lists 3 conditions for close internal security/policing cooperation:
* UK continues to apply ECHR.
* UK sets up 'adequate standards for data protection'
* An effective dispute settlement mechanism including 'roll in full' for ECJ on matters arising from EU law.
* UK continues to apply ECHR.
* UK sets up 'adequate standards for data protection'
* An effective dispute settlement mechanism including 'roll in full' for ECJ on matters arising from EU law.
On the EU's Level Playing Field demands, Barnier says there 'can't possibly be any surprise on the British side to hear that if we're acting in good faith here'. That's a push back at British claims the bloc has 'moved the goalposts' on what it is offering in a trade deal.
Barnier says: 'We're not asking for alignment, I know it's a sort of red rag to the UK. What we're looking for is consistency.' But just a few minutes ago he insisted on 'mechanisms to uphold the high standards we have...today and in their future developments.' Go figure.
Barnier is asked by @JamesCrisp6 whether there's any kind of FTA involving some tariffs on offer in return for the UK not having to agree to Level Playing Field conditions. Barnier says LPF is 'inextricably linked' to any trade deal.
@JamesCrisp6 And with that Barnier is done. Reckon there were at least 10 questions there, of which one went to a British outlet.
