As the next phase of exit talks begin
Brexit Secretary David Davis has warned the European Union negotiators they cannot ‘cherry pick’ the terms in any future trade deal with the UK. Post-Brexit trade talks are due to start in March.
Davis’s remarks come a month after his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, told reporters that financial services couldn’t be included in a deal with Britain because no previous EU trade agreement with other countries had such provisions.
Writing for the Daily Telegraph, Davis described the discussions as “a deep and open exploratory dialogue to discover a new, mutually acceptable point of balance in our relationship” and stated that Britain wanted “the full sweep of economic co-operation” and that financial services must not be excluded from any agreement.
The EU can’t pick and choose which bits of its economic relationship with Britain it maintains and which it eliminates in any future trade deal, Davis added.
“The final deal should, among other things, cover goods, agriculture and services, including financial services, and be supported by continued intelligent cooperation in highly-regulated areas such as transportation, energy and data,” Davis wrote.
In the longer run, he expressed optimism that a final compromise can be found that benefits both sides.
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