EU's Juncker tells Britain: no-deal Brexit will hurt you the most

[rooster59]

EU's Juncker tells Britain: no-deal Brexit will hurt you the most

 

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne (not pictured) attend a joint news conference at the House of the Estates during the visit to the College of Commissioners of the European Commission in Helsinki, Finland, July 5, 2019. Emmi Korhonen/Lehtikuva via REUTERS/File Photo

 

VIENNA (Reuters) - A no-deal Brexit would hurt Britain more than the rest of Europe no matter how much Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government pretends otherwise, outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in remarks published on Saturday.

 

Britain has been pressing the European Union to amend the terms of Britain's withdrawal agreement, saying Brussels would have to take responsibility for a no-deal Brexit if it does not compromise.

 

But at the end of the day that would do the most harm to Britain, Juncker told a regional newspaper in the Austrian province of Tyrol, where he regularly spends his summer holiday.

 

"If it comes to a hard Brexit, that is in no one's interest, but the British would be the big losers. They are acting as though that were not the case but it is," Juncker told the Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper.

 

"We are fully prepared even though some in Britain say we are not well set up for a 'no deal'. But I am not taking part in these little summer games," said Juncker, who is due to be succeeded by German conservative Ursula von der Leyen once she has put together her Commission.

 

The European Union has said the withdrawal agreement negotiated by the previous British administration led by Theresa May will not be re-opened. Johnson says it wants a key element of that deal, the so-called Irish "backstop", to be scrapped.

 

The backstop, agreed between Brussels and May's government, aims to keep the border between the Republic of Ireland and British-ruled Northern Ireland open, and would effectively keep Northern Ireland within the EU's single market if no alternative arrangement can be found.

 

"We have made clear that we are not prepared to hold new negotiations on the withdrawal agreement but only to make certain clarifications in the framework of the political declarations that regulate future relations between the United Kingdom and European Union," Juncker said.

 

"We are well prepared (for no deal) and I hope the British are too."

 

(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Stephen Powell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-11

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[AGareth2]

Ireland will be hit the worst

[smedly]

there are about 6 primary EU countries that account for 80% of UK imports from the EU, Germany is by far the biggest with about 40% of that 

 

Of all the many trade agreements the EU has around the world 8 countries account for 90% of the trade 

 

 

[Bluespunk]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

A no-deal Brexit would hurt Britain more than the rest of Europe no matter how much Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government pretends otherwise, outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in remarks published on Saturday.

 

Well said 

[Bluespunk]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Johnson says it wants a key element of that deal, the so-called Irish "backstop", to be scrapped.

Not going to happen johnson 

[vogie]

From the man who said "when it gets serious you have to lie"

[Chelseafan]

1 hour ago, AGareth2 said:

Ireland will be hit the worst

I freely admit, I only have a basic understanding of the Irish problem so can someone explain to me what the bigger issue is? As I see it the EU are making this into a bigger issue than it really is. Surely it's something that technology can regulate ?

 

[alant]

Must be true, he is the European Commission President.

[bristolboy]

37 minutes ago, vogie said:

From the man who said "when it gets serious you have to lie"

As against Boris Johnson, who will lie on any occasion, serious or not.

[bristolboy]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

there are about 6 primary EU countries that account for 80% of UK imports from the EU, Germany is by far the biggest with about 40% of that 

 

Of all the many trade agreements the EU has around the world 8 countries account for 90% of the trade 

 

 

And which of those EU members ships 44 percent of its exports to the UK? None. And what percentage of the UK's exports go to the EU? 44 percent. So who gets hurt worse by Brexit?

[gearbox]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

there are about 6 primary EU countries that account for 80% of UK imports from the EU, Germany is by far the biggest with about 40% of that 

 

Of all the many trade agreements the EU has around the world 8 countries account for 90% of the trade 

 

 

Do you think the people who drive Mercs and Beemers will switch to Ford after Brexit?

[Chomper Higgot]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

there are about 6 primary EU countries that account for 80% of UK imports from the EU, Germany is by far the biggest with about 40% of that 

 

Of all the many trade agreements the EU has around the world 8 countries account for 90% of the trade 

 

 

Yes you are correct:

 

’All the many trade agreements the EU (and hence UK) has around the world’.

 

The UK is on the verge of dumping them all.

[Jip99]

3 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

And which of those EU members ships 44 percent of its exports to the UK? None. And what percentage of the UK's exports go to the EU? 44 percent. So who gets hurt worse by Brexit?

 

 

The EU exports more to the UK than the UK exports to the EU.

[Jip99]

1 minute ago, gearbox said:

Do you think the people who drive Mercs and Beemers will switch to Ford after Brexit?

 

 

Who cares...... their choice. 

[Chomper Higgot]

Just now, Jip99 said:

 

 

The EU exports more to the UK than the UK exports to the EU.

And will continue to do so, just that the consumers will pay a higher price.

 

Back to the good old days of ‘RIP-OffBritain’.

[Jip99]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

And will continue to do so, just that the consumers will pay a higher price.

 

Back to the good old days of ‘RIP-OffBritain’.

 

Maybe.

 

Maybe not, there is more to the world than the EU.

 

 

Still the point is missed, there is going to be a price to independence from the EU; if that is dearer French Merlot, then I will either pay more or I will buy Chilean.

 

I can live without Gouda and salami.

[smedly]

4 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Do you think the people who drive Mercs and Beemers will switch to Ford after Brexit?

I think that depends on a couple of things

 

- if the EU tries to make things difficult (punish the UK for leaving)

- if there is no sensible trade deal reached

 

long term the UK has many options

[smedly]

1 hour ago, Chelseafan said:

I freely admit, I only have a basic understanding of the Irish problem so can someone explain to me what the bigger issue is? As I see it the EU are making this into a bigger issue than it really is. Surely it's something that technology can regulate ?

 

you are correct - the are solutions but the EU and Ireland refuse to discuss

 

it is shameful they are using terrorism in Ireland to re-enforce their bargaining position

 

the UK and Ireland have had a FTA and cooperation that goes back long before the EU

[evadgib]

Today is Sunday and the month is August which might perhaps explain how this latest post Brexit pro remain guesswork has surfaced in the absence of anything worth reporting.

[Basil B]

He is right...

 

But it will hurt most or all EU countries to varying degrees that's why they want a deal, ...But not at any price.

[smedly]

18 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

All the many trade agreements the EU (and hence UK) has around the world’.

 

The UK is on the verge of dumping them all.

only 8 account for anything and that does not include the USA and China

[JonnyF]

7 minutes ago, smedly said:

I think that depends on a couple of things

 

- if the EU tries to make things difficult (punish the UK for leaving)

- if there is no sensible trade deal reached

 

long term the UK has many options

Agree. If the EU is seen to be punishing the UK I think they'll be shocked at the British consumers reaction. It wont be tariffs stopping them buying it will be sentiment. 

 

Much like Koreans are shunning Japan's products you could see a similar thing in the UK and that 68 billion surplus could shrink massively.

 

The EU need to grow up and offer something sensible. 

[evadgib]

3 minutes ago, smedly said:

it is shameful they are using terrorism in Ireland to re-enforce their bargaining position

There will be no return to terrorism other than the racketeering, rustling, smuggling, agricultural theft & human trafficking etc that never actually stopped in the first place.

[bristolboy]

32 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

The EU exports more to the UK than the UK exports to the EU.

But the rest of the EU economy is about 6 times the size of the UK's. So let me ask again, which nation of the EU exports 44 percent of its total exports to the UK? Or, for that matter, anywhere near that percentage? 

[gearbox]

27 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

The EU exports more to the UK than the UK exports to the EU.

 

The EU exports to UK high quality expensive goods, which are not easy to substitute. You can replace BMW with Lexus, but still need to sell to the Japanese something they want to balance the trade. UK exports "financial services" to EU, with a fairly large surplus in the services area. 

 

 

[AGareth2]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Well said 

was that before or after the first bottle?

[sammieuk1]

Jean-Claude Juncker will be buying pounds again Monday as Boris fly's into the white cliffs of dover after making a wrong turn over the channel but lucky for him he will still be rich ????

[Jip99]

8 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

But the rest of the EU economy is about 6 times the size of the UK's. So let me ask again, which nation of the EU exports 44 percent of its total exports to the UK? Or, for that matter, anywhere near that percentage? 

 

 

Why are you talking 'nations' when you are so keen to sacrifice nationality in favour of the "EU"

 

Talk in values - Pound notes - so I tell you again - The EU exports more to the UK than the UK exports to the EU.

[AGareth2]

2 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Not going to happen johnson 

unless there is no deal

[Chomper Higgot]

17 minutes ago, smedly said:

only 8 account for anything and that does not include the USA and China

So the others account for nothing?!

 

Show us the UK’s trade deals, or if you can’t tell us when you will be able to do so?