EU negotiators are preparing to set demands for the UK in the next stage of Brexit talks that would totally contradict the vision of key members in Prime Minister Theresa May’s government, The Independent reported, citing leaked documents.
The documents reveal that chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier wants to give the UK a good transition deal if London "automatically" accepts new Brussels regulations during a two-year period after March 2019.
"The plan, set out to EU leaders behind closed doors, would leave the UK with no say over rules it accepts during the transition and is likely to enrage Brexiteers in the Cabinet, who are determined 2019 should be the last year Britain accepts new rules from Brussels," the newspaper said.
In the papers, Barnier says that the "automatic application" of new rules means that Britain would have "no institutional rights, no presence in the institutions" and "no voting rights" under the plan.
According to The Independent, the plan is made in the interests of the 27 remaining member states and indicates obstacles that will probably surface in future rounds of the Brexit talks.
The plan also demonstrates that it is namely the EU negotiators who set the rules in Brexit discussions, while Prime Minister May is struggling to overcome the impasse and progress to the next phase of negotiations.
Brussels has refused to move to the next stage of Brexit talks, including discussing trade and transition agreements, until progress is made on the divorce bill and the issue of EU citizens’ rights and the Irish border.
On Friday, May met with European Council President Donald Tusk in a bid to gain approval for a divorce bill which may now include an additional £20 billion ($26 billion) from the British government.
In recent weeks, EU leaders have been mounting pressure on the British government due to fears that London risks missing the December deadline. At an EU summit in Sweden earlier this month, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker told May that "the clock is ticking," according to media reports.
The Brexit negotiations between London and Brussels, which kicked off on June 19, are expected to wrap up by the end of March 2019. In a referendum on June 23, 2016, about 51.9 percent of British voters said "yes" to their country leaving the EU.
EU makes new Brexit plan, wants UK to 'automatically' accept its rules
26 November 2017
Read: 1339
The plan, presented to EU leaders "behind closed doors," reportedly says that London would have a good transition deal if the British government accepts new Brussels rules for the post-Brexit period, according to Sputnik.
