Tweet

Nick Gutteridge

6 Nov, 8 tweets, 2 min read

1/ During private briefings this week Michel Barnier said the UK side has been pressing for the Brexit talks to be kicked up to a higher political level but he has pushed back, fearing No 10 wants to turn the last few days of negotiations into a 'mass bargaining session'.

2/ The EU's chief negotiator sees Britain's strategy as trying to orchestrate a 'big tug of war at the end' between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen/Merkel/Macron during which the three key topics fisheries, LPF and governance would be played off against each other.

3/ The thinking goes a leader level intervention worked for the Withdrawal Agreement, with the PM and Juncker/Varadkar, so why not do it again? Barnier said he's open to a few select topics being passed upward at the very end, but the UK wants to leave as many as 30 issues open.

4/ He is said to have expressed frustration and accused the UK of not understanding how the EU works. Sources reported him as saying: 'I keep telling them that's not going to happen. You can't have things going up to that level that haven't been gone over with a fine toothcomb.'

5/ In a generally gloomy assessment the EU's chief negotiator said the talks are currently 'not on a trajectory' to get a deal and there won't be one unless the UK changes its approach, especially on LPF and fishing where he said the EU has shown willingness to compromise.

6/ Mr Barnier also expressed wariness at the UK's repeated portrayal of the tariff and quota free deal on the table as 'low value' and just Canada-style. He said this is a communications tactic the EU needs to push back against, and it's actually an economically high value deal.

7/ He said the Brits hypocritically talk about a simple FTA when it suits them, like on LPF, but in other areas push for much greater access. EU diplomat: "This is not a flimsy trade agreement. This is serious stuff. If all you want is a Canada-style deal, only ask for that.'

8/ As for the Brits, they're relaxed about such noises coming out of Brussels which they say are always expected after Barnier does his internal briefings. UK officials are focussed on securing a breakthrough in next week's talks. Barnier and Frost reconvene in London on Sunday.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

More from @nickgutteridge

Nick Gutteridge

@nickgutteridge

23 Oct

UK-Japan agreement includes a reference to both sides having an independent competition authority. This is something the UK side has previously resisted in talks with the EU.

The Competition chapter of the UK-Japan FTA is not covered by the agreement's dispute settlement measures, something the EU does want in its deal with the UK. But the State Aid chapter is covered by it, with the exception of one paragraph. The dispute settlement in it is binding.

The UK has argued in talks with the EU that dispute settlement measures should be limited to covering just trade in goods. So again, on state aid the UK-Japan agreement goes further than what has been proposed for a UK-EU trade deal.

Read 4 tweets

Nick Gutteridge

@nickgutteridge

21 Oct

Michel Barnier: 'The EU Council underscored to our friends and partners from the UK that the EU wants a deal. We want a deal that will be mutually beneficial to both parties in respect of the autonomy and sovereignty of both sides, a deal reflecting a balanced compromise.'

Michel Barnier: 'We will seek the necessary compromises on both sides in order to do our utmost to reach an agreement and will do so right up until the last day that it's possible to do so. Our doors will always remain open right up until the very end.'

Michel Barnier says the EU's 'principles' in the talks 'are fully compatible with the respect of British sovereignty, a legitimate concern of Boris Johnson's government. What's at stake in these negotiations is not the sovereignty of one side or the other.'

Read 6 tweets

Nick Gutteridge

@nickgutteridge

19 Oct

Michael Gove tells MPs: 'We'd hoped to conclude a Canada-style FTA before the transition ends. As things stand that will not now happen. We remain absolutely committed..but there does need to be a fundamental change in approach from the EU if the process is to get back on track.'

Michael Gove says No Deal is 'not my preferred outcome, nor is it the PM's' and that 'we recognise there will be some turbulence'. He adds: 'But we've not come so far to falter now when we are so close to reclaiming our sovereignty.'

Michael Gove says: 'It is the case Michel Barnier has agreed both to the intensification of talks and also to working on legal texts, a reflection of the strength and resolution our PM showed.'

Read 4 tweets

Nick Gutteridge

@nickgutteridge

7 Oct

UK negotiator Frost is asked whether Oct 15 is really a hard deadline. 'Obviously as we approach the 15th I’ll have to advise the PM on whether the conditions in his statement have been met or not and we’ll have to consider the situation at that point.'

UK negotiator Frost: 'We’ve made quite good progress so far. This is a hugely wide ranging agreement and in many areas the landing zone and the nature of the agreement is pretty clear if not exactly pinned down yet.'

Micheal Gove on EU legal action over the Internal Market Bill: 'We entirely understand the reasons why the EU feel this is an appropriate course of action for them but without prejudicing that...we feel that progress can be made through the joint committee.'

Read 17 tweets

Nick Gutteridge

@nickgutteridge

6 Oct

1/ EU capitals say Boris Johnson needs to get personally involved in the Brexit talks now if they're to reach a successful conclusion. They want him to get stuck into the detail and then hit the phone to key leaders. Nobody expects major progress before next week's summit.

2/ At the moment the negotiations are drifting, with steady progress being made on technical issues but none at all on the major sticking points. EU officials/diplomats insist they'll never walk away and are prepared to take the talks down to the wire in December if needs be.

3/ People here were perplexed by the PM’s performance in his recent video call with Ursula von der Leyen. On substance he 'didn't have much to say' and the main message out of it appeared to be to ‘hope for the best’. Given recent optimism on the UK side it was a 'poor result'.

Read 9 tweets

Nick Gutteridge

@nickgutteridge

15 Sep

1/ Behind the scenes the third country listing or 'food blockade' row isn't quite so dramatic. The EU wants the UK to provide details of its post-Brexit animal and plant health (SPS) rules by the end of next month. The UK says it will, and they'll basically be the same as now.

2/ The EU wants this information so it knows the conditions under which its farmers will be able to export goods to the UK from January 1. This is a requirement for opening up its market to agricultural produce from Britain, and is demanded of every third country on the list.

3/ EU official says the UK has pledged to transpose the Official Control Regulation, which gives the Commission oversight powers along the agrifood supply chain, as well as EU rules on animal and plant health 'with modifications'. They're now waiting for the domestic legislation.

Read 6 tweets

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!