If nobody cares, it’s a no brainer to extend.
Not because of the virus, but because end dates in trade negotiations aren’t a great idea anyway. (Thread)
Not because of the virus, but because end dates in trade negotiations aren’t a great idea anyway. (Thread)
As I’ve said I'm not calling for an extension for the reasons I’ve given.
I have always thought there would be one anyway, because trade deals can get weird...
I have always thought there would be one anyway, because trade deals can get weird...
To give an example of how weird trade deals can get, currently there is a bilateral free trade agreement in force with a provision that neither signatory really wanted.
One side went into the negotiations asking for a provision it didn’t want.
Then during the negotiations, the other side created a trade policy that stated they weren’t going to sign up to that provision in future trade deals. Including the one they were negotiating.
This resulted in a 3 year standoff until a change of government resulted in both countries signing up to a provision that...neither side really wanted.
In trade negotiations we are in a world where a deal can be delayed for 3 years before both countries, who were in agreement about not wanting something, eventually sign up to something that neither wanted.
It's a world where deadlines for negotiating rounds make a lot of sense, but an actual end date to the negotiations makes practically no sense.
And why did the country enter a negotiation asking for something it didn’t want?
Well that’s interesting in itself.
Well that’s interesting in itself.
The country didn’t want the provision in their new deal, but it didn’t want that same provision in the previous free trade agreement it had concluded either.
However, in the previous deal the other side was much bigger and insisted on the provision being included in the deal, leaving the smaller market to concede.
So, the government sold the deal to their public by claiming that the provision was now an international standard in trade deals, that there was nothing they could do. Accepting it was just something they had to do if they wanted trade deals in the future.
Which meant that in their next deal they had no choice but to put in on the table, because otherwise it wouldn’t be consistent with their sales pitch for the previous deal they concluded.
As far as they were concerned that provision HAD to be there, like it or not.
As far as they were concerned that provision HAD to be there, like it or not.
All it took was one country trying to save face, after misleading their people, to result in their negotiations stalling.
I’m actually disappointed with both the EU and the UK for even putting a limitation on this. If they thought they could do it in the time, then they don’t need to worry about the lack of an arbitrary end date.
If both sides want the most room to come out with the best deal, they should just triggering the extension now.
This has nothing to do with the virus, but instead showing respect for the process they are embarking on and its various pitfalls.
If nobody cares? Seriously, J.F.D.I. and I don't care which side requests it first.
/End
If nobody cares? Seriously, J.F.D.I. and I don't care which side requests it first.
/End
