The European Union (EU) believes that the best possible outcome of Brexit talks is a limited Canada-style trade deal with the UK, leaked documents from the Commission have revealed.
Brussels officials believe the UK’s insistence on leaving the Single Market and European Court of Justice (ECJ) means that a deeper relationship cannot be achieved, contrary to the promises of British politicians.
The EU document, leaked to the Politico website, stated that “single market arrangements in certain areas” or the “evolution of our regulatory frameworks” could not be managed within EU law as it stood.
The UK would have to be satisfied with a “standard FTA (free trade agreement)”, the paper adds.
Britain’s desire for “regulatory autonomy” and wish to be free of ECJ rulings mean it is “not compatible” as a partner within the EU framework, it is claimed.
Such a model would provide “no direct branching in sectors like financial services”. The documents added that there were only “limited EU commitments to allow the cross-border provision of services”.
In her Florence speech in September, Prime Minister Theresa May rejected a standard trade deal.
“Compared with what exists between Britain and the EU today, [a Canada-style arrangement] would nevertheless represent such a restriction on our mutual market access that it would benefit neither of our economies,” she said.
Last night David Davis, the Brexit secretary, also rejected the approach, calling for deeper co-operation in services.
“Leaving the European Union should not necessarily change our approach on co-operation – even as we diverge,” he told business leaders in Berlin.
“Our objective is that services can be traded across borders, in areas ranging from highly regulated sectors, such as financial services, to modern ones such as artificial intelligence.”
However, he conceded Britain could remain under the jurisdiction of the ECJ after the Brexit date in March 2019 and into a two year so-called ‘transitional period.’