Britain and the EU will on Monday agree a significant post-Brexit reconciliation, however haggling over key particulars together with fisheries, meals commerce and youth mobility dragged on into Sunday night as each side engaged in eleventh-hour brinkmanship.
A historic summit at Lancaster Home in London will see each side signal a safety and defence partnership, the centrepiece of the “reset” and a recognition that the entire continent wants to drag collectively to confront the risk from Russia.
Sir Keir Starmer will signal the defence pact and a communiqué promising deeper financial co-operation throughout a two-hour assembly with European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president António Costa.
The EU-UK summit, the primary since Brexit took impact in 2020, shall be bathed in a spirit of reconciliation, however the talks in Brussels on Sunday have been a reminder that the connection between the 2 sides is now extremely transactional.
British officers stated on Sunday night that “enormous progress” had been made in some areas however that “negotiations are taking place to the wire”. In Brussels, EU ambassadors have been advised to arrange for additional talks at 10pm.
Particulars of the EU-UK deal are extremely politically delicate. Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch has warned that Starmer is about to “give up” British pursuits.
In Brussels, EU ambassadors demanded extra concessions from Britain in alternate for undoing a few of the financial injury attributable to Brexit, together with a deal to protect long-term access to British fishing grounds for France and different coastal states.
British officers admitted that the EU wouldn’t comply with an open-ended deal to take away post-Brexit obstacles to commerce in meals and animals — one of many greatest “asks” of the UK — until Brussels was glad with a deal on fish.
“We wish to give confidence to enterprise,” stated one UK official, admitting {that a} time-limited veterinary deal — often known as a sanitary and phytosanitary settlement — would go away an excessive amount of uncertainty for farmers and supermarkets.
There was annoyance in Brussels that Starmer put out a press launch over the weekend by which he claimed a deal to chop costs within the outlets had already been agreed. “That isn’t the case,” stated one EU diplomat on Sunday.
Nevertheless, Britain has conceded that eradicating obstacles to commerce in foodstuffs would require the UK to “dynamically align” with guidelines made in Brussels, and likewise make a monetary contribution to the EU to fund work on meals and animal requirements. Conservatives declare this can be a “betrayal” of Brexit.
In the meantime, the EU can also be attempting to get Britain to enroll to an bold youth mobility scheme — together with higher entry for college kids to UK universities — in a “frequent understanding” communiqué to be issued alongside the defence pact.
The EU has warned Starmer that it’s going to not make it simpler for British touring musicians to journey throughout nationwide borders in Europe or for UK travellers to make use of passport e-gates until he’s bolder on youth mobility, based on officers briefed on the talks.
Starmer has conceded {that a} youth mobility scheme will occur, however is attempting to maintain the language within the communiqué imprecise, permitting detailed talks about controversial areas reminiscent of numbers and pupil charges for additional negotiations later this yr.
Downing Avenue stated the Lancaster Home summit would come with an settlement to chop “queues on vacation”, with European relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds confirming on Sunday he was on the lookout for a deal to permit using e-gates at borders.
However a second EU diplomat denied the request — which was additionally beforehand made by Starmer’s predecessor Rishi Sunak — had been granted.
“Starmer sees a few of the outcomes of the summit as a completed deal already which isn’t the case, and he needs to look as a dealmaker,” the diplomat stated.
“UK negotiators want to point out they actually need a reset on a ‘win-win’ foundation, and never solely take a look at potential positive factors for one aspect solely.”
One particular person concerned in talks on the EU aspect stated the discussions had all the time been anticipated to go to the wire. “The British are robust negotiators. However we should always get a deal ultimately.”
EU diplomats complained of Starmer’s current ways to power a deal. Late final week British ministers known as counterparts in EU capitals to push for a deal, bypassing the fee — which one diplomat dubbed a “divide and rule tactic”.
Whereas each side have been attempting to extract concessions from one another on Sunday night, the talks won’t derail an general settlement. The place points are unresolved, British officers say that they could possibly be “kicked into the lengthy grass” for additional talks later.
Particulars of the ultimate textual content are anticipated to be printed at noon on Monday, however Starmer and his EU interlocutors shall be at ache to emphasize areas of settlement, somewhat than the painful last-minute haggling by their negotiators on Sunday.
Further reporting by Barbara Moens in Brussels
