Johnson to stress trade deal deadline in EU meeting

Johnson to stress trade deal deadline in EU meeting
January 8, 2020, 9:31 am

Ursula von der Leyen will be meeting Boris Johnson for the first time since she took office in November file photo Reuters

The PM will hold talks with Ursula von der Leyen in Downing Street.

Once the UK leaves the EU on 31 January, the two sides will begin talks on their future economic relationship.

Mr Johnson has insisted a deal is possible by the end of 2020 and the process will not be extended.

After its 31 January exit, the UK will enter into an 11-month transition period in which it will largely follow EU rules but will not have any representation in the bloc's institutions. This period will come to an end on 31 December 2020.

The government rejected calls in the Commons from Labour and the Lib Dems for Parliament to be given a vote on extending the transition period, if necessary, this summer to allow more time for negotiations.

Opposition MPs have warned that trade deals typically take years to conclude and, with relatively little time available, the UK risks defaulting to World Trade Organisation rules at the start of 2021, potentially leading to damaging tariffs for some industries.

And No 10 said Mr Johnson was expected to tell the EU president that he is confident of getting a deal and, having waited for more than three years to leave the EU, both British and EU citizens expect the next phase of trade negotiations to conclude on time.

Downing Street added that the PM was likely to underline to Mrs von der Leyen and the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier that the objective was securing an ambitious, tariff-free trade agreement rather than continued regulatory alignment.

Mrs von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, took over from Jean-Claude Juncker at the start of December. She will set out her vision for future UK-EU relations in a speech at the London School of Economics - where she was a student in the 1970s.

In public, EU officials have said they will do all they can to reach agreement by the end of the year although, in private, many have cast doubt on whether this is possible without some difficult compromises.

Mrs von der Leyen has previously warned the UK that the timetable to conclude an agreement is "extremely challenging" and that whatever happened, the EU would remain united and continue to benefit from its single market and customs union

Legislation implementing the terms of Mr Johnson's Brexit deal continues to move through the Commons, with the government easily winning all three votes on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill on Tuesday. The bill will enshrine in law the terms of the transition period, first negotiated by Mr Johnson's predecessor Theresa May, as well as agreements on citizens' rights, customs arrangements in Northern Ireland and the UK's financial settlement. On Wednesday, MPs will look at parliamentary oversight and issues relating to Northern Ireland. The DUP, SDLP and Alliance have jointly suggested amendments - suggested changes to the bill - to ensure a legal guarantee that Northern Ireland businesses will have "unfettered access" to the rest of the UK. The SDLP and Alliance oppose Brexit, while the DUP says the deal would undermine Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

source:BBC

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