The European heads of state and government are to meet on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 October in Brussels. They will discuss Brexit, while negotiations between London and the European Union to define their relations from 1er January 2021 is skating. The Twenty-Seven will also talk about climate and foreign policy. And behind the scenes, they will be sure to discuss the stimulus package. Overview with Clément Beaune, Secretary of State for European Affairs.
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Do you think that an agreement on the future relationship between the UK and the EU is still possible?
In recent days, the British government has said it wants to achieve this. U.S. too. But an agreement has to respect our conditions, be it fisheries, competitive conditions or governance. Otherwise, there will be no deal.
On fishing, the European negotiator Michel Barnier seems less inflexible than in the past …
We cannot isolate the subject of fisheries from the rest of the negotiations. The British want their waters back, and this, they believe, gives them leverage. But they forget that for all the other matters they are negotiating on, they have a lot more to ask than to offer. Fishing should not be the adjustment variable, there will be no global agreement possible without a good agreement in this area. An agreement that would offer visibility over time to fishermen and guarantee them access to British waters. We will not sacrifice their interests.
The British undoubtedly have more to lose in the event of a “no deal”, but so does Europe. We will have to make concessions …
We cannot be accused of being “inflexible” when the British have not given us clear signals of their willingness to move towards a comprehensive agreement.
David Frost, the negotiator on the British side, recently said he was ready to move on the subject of state aid and fair competition conditions …
This is a favorable signal, we are waiting for proof. There cannot be dumping at our borders, it is a condition of fair competition. If the British want to have access to the internal market, their companies must not be able to be helped more than ours and dump against us.
The Council will determine whether an agreement is still possible. Either the heads of state and government believe that this is not the case and we will prepare for the consequences of a “no deal”. Either the British will have moved by then, and Michel Barnier will have a few days – a few weeks at most – to try to finalize an agreement. It doesn’t mean that it will get there, but there will be a way.
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