BREXIT IRON ARM BETWEEN THE TWENTY-SEVEN

AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

Breaking out of European rules

The British Prime Minister certainly said on Monday February 3 in his 30-minute speech that his country would not make any “unfair competition” to the EU after Brexit

"We will not do any unfair competition, whether commercial, economic or environmental," said the conservative leader, pledging not to lower European standards.

But at the same time, Boris Johnson has signaled to the Europeans his unyielding intention to break free from EU rules after Brexit rejecting any alignment with European rules as the price of a free trade agreement with Brussels: " Are we going to insist that the EU does everything like us as a free trade price ? Of course not. "

“I see no need to force us into an agreement with the EU. We will restore our full sovereignty over our borders, immigration, sovereignty over our borders, immigration, competition, the rules governing subsidies, supplies, data protection. "

He also said that cooperation with Europeans in defense and foreign policy would "not necessarily require a treaty".

Boris Johnson also presented this Monday, February 3, 2020 his vision of the place of the United Kingdom in the world. The United Kingdom is looking for new partners, on the side of its historic American ally but also in Asia-Pacific. British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab announced on Sunday that he will travel to Japan and Australia next week to negotiate trade deals and explore "international" opportunities. For his part, US President Donald Trump has been dangling for several months a “magnificent” bilateral trade agreement to his historic ally. Its chief diplomat Mike Pompeo, visiting the United Kingdom on Thursday, insisted with London on the "enormous benefits" of their post-Brexit rapprochement.

The Brussels proposals

For its part, the EU warned London on Monday against any temptation to compete unfairly, and said it was ready to negotiate "a very ambitious trade agreement". This agreement will aim in particular to eliminate all customs duties and all quotas on goods traded with the continent, a proposal never seen on the part of the EU with its partners, said the EU chief negotiator for the Brexit, Michel Barnier. He also warned that the EU would not accept the emergence of a deregulated economy on its doorstep that would enjoy "unfair competitive advantages".

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, however, warned that the level of UK access to the European single market would depend on its level of alignment with EU rules.

"The closer the UK wants to be to [the rules], the easier it will be to access the single market, but nothing is free (…), I think it is a question of fairness to respect the rules" , she stressed, recalling that the political declaration, which accompanies the withdrawal treaty, was signed by Boris Johnson. If the British want an advantageous customs agreement opening up the European market to its products, they will therefore not be able to completely free themselves from Community standards and thus create a deregulated and unfair competitor at the gates of the Union.

Boris Johnson's ambitions differ greatly from those of the European Commission.

Nine roundtables will be held by October "to do the maximum" by the end of the transition period, scheduled for time in late December 2020

Words from both sides that suggest an intense showdown over their future trade relationship ... The United Kingdom intends to dearly defend its interests in its future trade negotiations.