Britain wants to discuss length of Brexit transition with EU

[webfact]

Britain wants to discuss length of Brexit transition with EU

By Elizabeth Piper

 

FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator carries a Union Jack and a European Union flag as the EU's chief Brexitnegotiator Michel Barnier visits Downing Street in London, Britain February 5, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain wants to discuss the length of any post-Brexit transition period with the European Union, but believes that around two years should be enough time to prepare "new processes" and "new systems", according to a draft paper.

 

Prime Minister Theresa May hopes to seal a deal with the EU on a transition period in March this year, to offer companies some certainty a year before Britain is due to leave the bloc, and has repeatedly said it should not drag on indefinitely.

 

But EU officials say they doubt whether Britain will be ready to make a full break by Brussels' proposed date of Dec. 31, 2020, and are preparing for a much longer goodbye, an idea anathema to hard Brexiteers.

 

In a draft paper responding to the EU's guidelines for the transition period, May's government said the timeframe "should be determined simply by how long it will take to prepare and implement the new processes and new systems that will underpin the future partnership".

 

"The UK agrees this points to a period of around two years, but wishes to discuss with the EU the assessment that supports its proposed end date," it said.

 

May's spokesman said the statement did not mean Britain wanted to extend what May calls an 'implementation phase', but rather that the government wanted to question the EU's position that the end of the transition should coincide with the end of the bloc's current seven-year budget period.

 

"There is nothing remotely new," he told reporters.

 

Britain still wants to agree a fixed date and hopes that can be approved by EU leaders at a summit on March 22-23.

 

Britain's Brexit secretary David Davis told a parliamentary committee in January that "around two years" meant between 21 and 27 months. The EU proposal is for just 21.

 

"NOT A GIVEN"

 

The EU and Britain had been expected to agree to a largely status-quo transition quite quickly, but Barnier said this month that a deal was "not a given" after accusing London of bringing up "substantial" objections to the bloc's offer.

 

One point of conflict is the rights of EU citizens. May has stood by her position that those arriving after March next year should have different rights to those who entered before. The British government says those arriving during the transition period will have different expectations.

 

But May told parliament that she wanted people to stay.

 

"They've made a huge contribution to our country, that's why we want them and their families to stay. I'm absolutely clear that EU citizens living lawfully in the UK today will be able to stay," May said in parliament.

 

Overall, the government's draft document did little to highlight the areas where the two sides may disagree.

 

It made little more than technical changes to an EU document and simply underlined Britain's desire to agree swiftly on foreign, security and defence affairs and, after doing so, for any deals to come into force even during the transition.

 

Britain also wants a way to object to new EU legislation during the transition - something that may address the fears of hardline Brexit campaigners who have written to May to demand that she toughen her negotiating position.

 

"The UK believes this document demonstrates that there is broad alignment between the UK and EU positions, with only a small number of areas requiring discussion," the paper said.

 

"This reflects the desire of both parties to provide certainty as swiftly as possible to individuals and businesses in the UK and across the EU about the arrangements that will apply from the point of the UK's withdrawal."

 

(Reporting By Elizabeth Piper and Andrew MacAskill in London; additional reporting by Jan Strupczewski, Gabriela Baczynska, Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels; Editing by Kevin Liffey, William Maclean)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-22

[Grouse]

Would 50 years be unreasonable?

[nauseus]

45 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Would 50 years be unreasonable?

Silly. The next referendum is due before that. 

[nabbie]

1 hour ago, nauseus said:

Silly. The next referendum is due before that. 

Nah, revoking Article 50 will happen as soon as Brexit will lose its vision & direction.  

[Media1]

Has the previous PM relocated to a safe haven lol. What a mess

[dick dasterdly]

And so the confusion continues....

 

Who do we 'believe' 

"Prime Minister Theresa May hopes to seal a deal with the EU on a transition period in March this year, to offer companies some certainty a year before Britain is due to leave the bloc"

or

"But EU officials say they doubt whether Britain will be ready to make a full break by Brussels' proposed date of Dec. 31, 2020, and are preparing for a much longer goodbye".

 

Politicians playing games ....

[dunroaming]

2 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

And so the confusion continues....

 

Who do we 'believe' 

"Prime Minister Theresa May hopes to seal a deal with the EU on a transition period in March this year, to offer companies some certainty a year before Britain is due to leave the bloc"

or

"But EU officials say they doubt whether Britain will be ready to make a full break by Brussels' proposed date of Dec. 31, 2020, and are preparing for a much longer goodbye".

 

Politicians playing games ....

Both sides not playing games.  The EU being open about the reality and May scared of all the Brexiteers shouting at her.  Yet another crisis meeting with the cabinet today to try find some "unity".  But you are right that politicians are playing games in the UK although these games are not in any way sportsmanlike. It's all about threats and ransom notes.

[natway09]

I think May & her cronnies are getting a bit scared that they & the banks may just fall flat on their faces

[Jip99]

5 minutes ago, natway09 said:

I think May & her cronnies are getting a bit scared that they & the banks may just fall flat on their faces

 

 

 

Hogwash....................... evidence for that ?

[dunroaming]

2 hours ago, natway09 said:

I think May & her cronnies are getting a bit scared that they & the banks may just fall flat on their faces

The banks and businesses are putting a lot of pressure on May and they represent the economy of Britain and without a strong a strong economy we will be in the serious brown stuff.  On the other hand you have the snivelling little Englanders like Rees-Mogg threatening May with a leadership challenge (that would fail but further weaken the UK and the pound) if she doesn't bow to their unrealistic demands.

 

It is not a matter of May having any b*lls or not.  She grasped the poisoned chalice and now there is no going back.  She is doomed no matter how the cards are played.

[nauseus]

10 hours ago, nabbie said:

Nah, revoking Article 50 will happen as soon as Brexit will lose its vision & direction.  

You missed my sarcasm but never mind.

 

The vision of Brexit is to leave the EU and the direction can be any point of the compass as long as we go far enough to be out. 

[nabbie]

2 hours ago, nauseus said:

You missed my sarcasm but never mind.

 

The vision of Brexit is to leave the EU and the direction can be any point of the compass as long as we go far enough to be out. 

This is not quite what I mean. I am talking what potential vision Brexit will be entering into after leave EU. In fact I accept & respect the EU outcome and I would like to see what are the real plan & opportunities through Brexit's vision. Up to now, I do still see nothing the positive outlines of Brexit's future plan especially Irish border and the wealthy single market. I think Brexiters must have felt betrayal due to the wrong definition of "Yes" voting which is supposed to leave EU immediately but it has not happened....Why?    because it must be something wrong with EU referendum on 23 June 2016.        

[nauseus]

2 hours ago, nabbie said:

This is not quite what I mean. I am talking what potential vision Brexit will be entering into after leave EU. In fact I accept & respect the EU outcome and I would like to see what are the real plan & opportunities through Brexit's vision. Up to now, I do still see nothing the positive outlines of Brexit's future plan especially Irish border and the wealthy single market. I think Brexiters must have felt betrayal due to the wrong definition of "Yes" voting which is supposed to leave EU immediately but it has not happened....Why?    because it must be something wrong with EU referendum on 23 June 2016.        

I don't think any leavers expected to get out immediately - EU rules (Article 50) and all that - but May took the big job on, then held a needless election with a suicidal manifesto and continues to make a dog's dinner of getting out. If she has a vision it's probably still to stay in!