Set out negotiation proposal
The UK government has set out proposals outlining the UK’s negotiating approach to ensure trade of goods and services will continue after the UK Leaves the EU in March 2019.
The position papers were published today ahead of the third round of negotiations and makes the case for why it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK that our exit is as smooth and orderly as possible for UK and European businesses and consumers.
The proposals call for goods which are already placed on the market should be allowed to continue to be sold in the UK and EU, without any additional requirements or restrictions.
The papers also call for consumer protection in the UK to remain in place after Brexit.
Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis said: “These papers will help give businesses and consumers certainty and confidence in the UK’s status as an economic powerhouse after we have left the EU.
“They also show that as we enter the third round of negotiations, it is clear that our separation from the EU and future relationship are inextricably linked.
“We have already begun to set out what we would like to see from a future relationship on issues such as customs and are ready to begin a formal dialogue on this and other issues.”
A second paper also outlines proposals around confidentiality and access to official documents once the UK leaves the bloc. It outlines that it will be important to establish a framework that will allow the UK to have the same ‘reciprocal’ agreement to ensure the continued respect of obligations of confidentiality and the protection of official documents exchanged while it was a Member State.
“The necessary protections concerning both UK and EU data should be on equivalent terms to those laid out in existing regimes,” the paper said.
Further papers are due to be published over the coming days.
The position papers come as the negotiating team in Brussels refuse to discuss future arrangements on trade until the UK’s so called ‘divorce bill’, citizens’ rights and the Norther Ireland border are settled.
European Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein told a press conference” “There is a very clear structure in place, set by the EU27, about how these talks should be sequenced and that is exactly what we think should be happening now.”
“So the fact that these papers are coming out is, as such, welcome because we see this as a positive step towards now really starting the process of negotiations.
“But as Michel Barnier has said time and again, we have to have sufficient progress first on the three areas of citizens’ rights, financial settlement and Ireland, and only then can we move forwards to discussing the future relationship.”
“Hopefully we can make fast progress on the three areas I have mentioned because once we have reached sufficient progress there, we can move on to the second stage,” he added.
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