UK prepares to reveal its demands from EU

24 Feb 2020 03:42 PM

UK is preparing to provide details of its demands for a trade deal with the EU. The ministers are expected to recommit seeking an Agreement similar to Canada's in the negotiating mandate scheduled for Publication on Thursday.

However, this could lead to a clash with the EU after its chief negotiator Michel Barnier ruled out the possibility that the UK would have the same deal with Canada. The Government is expected to publish its negotiating mandate on the desired free trade agreement with the United States next week.

The EU negotiator said: "The trade agreement, which includes fishing and includes an equal area, with a country with a very special proximity - a unique regional and economic convergence... It cannot be compared to Canada, South Korea or Japan."

The Canadian agreement took seven years to negotiate, with import tariffs on most goods between the country and the EU abolished, although some customs and VAT still exist.

While the UK officially left the EU on 31 January, it is currently in a transition period following Brussels rules without having a say in how it is made. The transition is scheduled to end on December 31st, and the prime minister has repeatedly vowed not to extend it.

But there were concerns that there was too little time to reach an ambitious deal and that the UK might emerge from the bloc and impose high trade tariffs.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a meeting with his Government on Brexit on Tuesday to sign the mandate before it is posted online and placed in Parliament on Thursday.

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