To put this into a conceptual framework: the UK negotiating goals in the EU negotiations differ significantly from all other FTA negotiations. Why? (Thread)
Normally trade negotiations are about, well, improving trade conditions between the negotiating parties. Yes, there might also be geostrategic issues, but that doesn’t change the dynamic that much.
How do you decide where to improve conditions, how do you know where the problems are? You talk to industry, look at your economic models etc.
None of this is the reality of the future relationship talks. For obvious reasons: In the Brexit campaign, the economic argument “but what about the economy” did not carry the day. “Take back control” did. (Yes, I do simplify. Sorry for that)
Accordingly, the Brexit sovereignty angel has become a decisive issue in the UK-EU negotiations. The UK chief negotiators has said so much in his Brussels speech.
But if sovereignty - we cannot bind ourselves too much - is one of the decisive negotiating issues, the traditional forces driving an FTA suddenly point in a different direction.
We have no standard model for this type of negotiation.
We have no standard model for this type of negotiation.
(All of this - including the unusual incentives on the EU side as well - to be read in a more detailed paper available very shortly. I’ll link to it)
