Discussions have barely started between London and Brussels on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU), but the visions of the two sides already seem to be irreconcilable. This is in any case what he appeared to listen to, Monday, February 3, Boris Johnson deliver his first great post-Brexit speech while Michel Barnier presented, in Brussels, the terms of the draft mandate prepared by the Commission for negotiate with London.
The British Prime Minister has insisted that he wants a " free trade Agreement " of the Canada type (on the model of the one signed between Ottawa and Brussels in 2016). But, he added, "There is no reason that a free trade agreement implies accepting European rules on competition, state aid, social protection, the environment, any more than the EU would be forced to accept the British rules ”.
The European Union's chief negotiator offers his ex-partner a "Very ambitious trade agreement", without customs duties and without quotas on goods traded with the continent. The Frenchman also warned that the EU would not accept the emergence of a deregulated economy on its doorstep, which would benefit "Unfair competitive advantages".
Today, the United Kingdom meets all European norms and standards, since it was still a member of the European Union less than a week ago. "It is the first time that it is not a question of encouraging convergence, but of mastering divergence", Barnier said, comparing the negotiations that are taking place with those that may have taken place within the framework of sixty European trade agreements with third countries.
"A competitor at our door"
Another major difference, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said, the UK is "A competitor at our door", when the other countries with which the EU has concluded treaties are much further away and have much less need of the Old Continent to run their economies. 47% of UK exports go to the EU.
In this context, Mr. Barnier was very clear: there was no question of letting London take comfort with health, environmental or competition law standards. "On state aid or anything related to the climate transition, for example, there needs to be absolute and long-term convergence between Europe and the United Kingdom", explains Amélie de Montchalin, Secretary of State for European Affairs. Barnier also spoke of the need to agree with the British on a dispute settlement mechanism, which, as far as European law is concerned, would go through the European Court of Justice.
