EU asks 'level playing field' of Britain in case of all-UK Irish backstop: sources

[webfact]

EU asks 'level playing field' of Britain in case of all-UK Irish backstop: sources

By Gabriela Baczynska

 

FILE PHOTO: British and EU flags are adjusted prior to the arrival of British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, ahead of the European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union wants Britain to stick to the bloc's rules on state aid, environment and workers' rights after Brexit to prevent it from gaining unfair access to the Europeans' single market, diplomatic sources and officials told Reuters.

 

The EU sees this as key to ensuring a "level playing field" should the so-called Irish border backstop kick in after Brexit, tying all of the United Kingdom in a customs zone with the bloc.

 

"It is important that Britain would not undercut our own products on our own market in the all-UK Irish backstop," one source said of the EU demand that comes as the two sides are seeking a Brexit deal as soon as this month.

 

The EU has made concessions on the biggest hurdle in the talks - the Irish border backstop or an emergency fix to ensure the frontier there stays open regardless of how Brexit goes - but there are still differences on the life span of such a solution, a review mechanism or the depth of regulatory alliance under the all-UK backstop, which has been sought by London.

 

The EU has presented the three areas as the bare minimum it deems necessary, complemented by no internal trade tariffs or quotas and the same external tariff.

 

It does not want to allow Britain to be able to pull out unilaterally but proposes that any such decision could be done by a joint committee.

The bloc is now waiting on whether British Prime Minister Theresa May can get her cabinet and parliament behind that.

 

Should that be possible, EU and British Brexit negotiators would recommend that "decisive progress" has been achieved in Brexit talks and the EU would call a special summit of its 27 national leaders to endorse it.

 

While it is still possible later in November, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar warned on Wednesday that chances for a deal this month were fading.

 

For Britain, it is important to lock a deal before the turn of the year to give businesses the clarity they need to plan for the first quarter of 2019 when Britain is due to become the first country ever to leave the EU.

 

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-08

[canopus1969]

Simple answer to the EU : B*ll*cks

 

The way they treated us, to hell with them 

[terryw]

They are trying to bully the UK because they are scared of having a major competitive economy on their doorstep.

 

The problem is that May always gives in to EU demands because she is desperate for a Deal.

Edited November 9, 2018 by terryw

[Guest]

 

18 hours ago, webfact said:

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union wants Britain to stick to the bloc's rules on state aid, environment and workers' rights after Brexit to prevent it from gaining unfair access to the Europeans' single market, diplomatic sources and officials told Reuters.

 

Jacob Rees-Mogg will naturally be the champion of the common workers rights.  

 

[Guest]

17 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Simple answer to the EU : B*ll*cks

 

The way they treated us, to hell with them 

How has EU treated you? Making sure that the rules, UK helped to create for EU, will be followed?

 

Not giving you enough attention when UK has been behaving like a spoiled princess?

[sawadee1947]

22 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Simple answer to the EU : B*ll*cks

 

The way they treated us, to hell with them 

YOU asked for it

[canopus1969]

29 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

YOU asked for it

You are quite right but at least we have come to our senses and will soon leave them in their own mess

[Guest]

3 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

You are quite right but at least we have come to our senses and will soon leave them in their own mess

You mean the people in island of Ireland, including people of Northern Ireland?

 

Well, you are right, they are not Londoners nor even English. 

[welovesundaysatspace]

3 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

You are quite right but at least we have come to our senses and will soon leave them in their own mess

I rather prefer to be in our “own mess” than the mess the U.K. will be in (unless the EU is generous enough to help the U.K. again). 

[Odysseus123]

Ah..the England shorn of the Irish,Scots and Welsh (sooner or later) will be even more stupefyingly boring than the England now.

 

Hard to believe but there you have it.

 

Build replica Hurricanes,Spitfires and Lancasters in a hurry..it's your only chance.

Edited November 9, 2018 by Odysseus123