Barnier advisor Stefaan de Rynck tells IfG event: 'As to our demands being unreasonable, these are our demands. No qualification UK can put to them will change our demands. We need to find space for compromise loyal to mandate of EU - that’s the challenge that lies ahead of us.'
De Rynck on LPF: 'It’s a democratic decision to sign up to such commitments. We need to move beyond the kind of idea that signing up to international commitments that are legally binding would have some kind of threat to national democracy. We fully respect the UK has left.'
De Rynck concedes the EU is 'asking for a lot on state aid [dynamic alignment] because Member States and EU industry are very concerned'. Says: 'We need to find ways forward on the regulatory approach, also on state aid issues, otherwise we will not be able to conclude a deal.'
De Rynck says there are 'timid openings' on fishing and both sides have 'maximalist' positions. Says 'it’s time we get more into granular discussions on stocks on quotas, on access to waters and see where the landing zone is on that'. Agrees with Frost agreement by June unlikely.
De Rynck of governance of future EU-UK relations: 'We must avoid a proliferation of sector-based committees. One can of course see how the UK would be interested in working sector-by-sector to reproduce sector-by-sector a number of benefits of the Single Market.'
De Rynck says the EU is 'certainly open' to a transition extension. 'My personal assessment with the Covid crisis is we need to get to the economic recovery, which will be a massive challenge. Is it wise to end the transition at the end of this year? It’s an open question.'
De Rynck says argument extending the transition could leave UK on the hook for EU coronavirus recovery costs is 'not a legitimate concern'. Lump sum transition payment would be agreed in June and 'that’s it no matter what then happens on the EU side. There would be no surprises.'
De Rynck says that even if a deal is agreed in the Autumn 'with very little time to prepare...I’d also expect quite a bit of disruption on the 1st of January because the future relationship would just have been agreed shortly before that date'.
De Rynck says EU not keen on idea of agreeing an implementation phase for businesses at start of next year to give them more time to adapt. 'I don’t think we'll want to invent new systems of preparation. We'll just have to be ready to implement the future relationship on Jan 1.'
De Rynck on citizens rights of Brits in EU: 'I can understand British nationals sometimes have situations of anxiety in those countries where the system hasn’t kicked off yet. We’re working with the Member States to make sure people feel accommodated by their host country.'
De Rynck says a big difference between deal/no deal & tariffs would be 'very, very disruptive' both 'for those Brexit advocates who’d said Brexit would mean cheaper food' and 'EU agriculture in terms of exports'. No deal 'certainly something we should try and avoid at all costs.'
