Both arms stretched forward toward the big screen with Ursula von der Leyen, thumbs up: Boris Johnson sent this photo of himself smiling at his desk around the world via Twitter on the afternoon of December 24. Underneath, the words “The Deal is Done”: the treaty stands.
The EU and Great Britain have agreed on a partnership agreement just in time for Christmas. It is to govern relations after the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31, 2020. If it had not been reached this year, trade barriers with tariffs would have come into force on January 1, with potentially dramatic consequences for the economy and political cooperation.
Now, the core of the deal is a free trade agreement designed to ensure smooth trade without tariffs and quotas for the future. Brussels and London have also agreed on sets of rules for cooperation in a wide range of other policy areas, including transport, fisheries, police cooperation and research, as well as mechanisms for ensuring fair competition and settling disputes.
“The UK will remain a valued partner,” said EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. Even after Brexit, they share the same interests. The agreement had turned out to be “fair and balanced” after a “long and winding road.”
Britain, all sides have begun to pick apart the trade agreement between the EU and the UK, which was published on Saturday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson already believes that the treaty itself will survive tests of “Talmudic proportions.” The text is due to be voted on in the British Parliament on Wednesday.
The focus now is on the harsh criticism of the agreement by the conservative Brexit hardliner wing ERG (European Research Group). The ERG once stood in the way of ex-Prime Minister Theresa May. But Johnson doesn’t really need to worry here. Even before the deal was finalized, his entourage had checked certain points with members of the ERG.
The ERG’s three main demands – that the European Court of Justice no longer have a say over the country, that there be no common rulebook with rules defined by the EU, and that the UK be an independent coastal state – have now been met in the treaty. ERG members, such as group leader Mark Francois, then only lamented the lack of time for in-depth treaty review. Unlike the UK, the EU would have until February to do so.
So it’s no surprise in the U.K. that the ex-director of the Vote Leave campaign group, Matthew Elliot, is celebrating the deal as “a victory that Boris Johnson will go down in history with.” And yet while some fear possible punitive tariffs, Daniel Hannan, one-time Conservative MP and absolute Brexit hardliner, doesn’t believe so: “Trade barriers hurt the country that puts them up the most.”
Approval of deal a sign of reconciliation
A government majority on Wednesday’s vote is expected – even if there would be dissenting votes from within its own ranks. Opposition leader Keir Starmer already said Thursday that despite the deal being “tenuous,” Labour would get behind it. However, former Labour MEP Richard Corbett says it lacks credibility to vote in favor of an agreement that his party has constantly criticized over the past three years. He recommends abstaining.
Others, including Shadow Minister Debbonaire, who represents an anti-Brexit stronghold in West Bristol, but also Labour’s foreign affairs expert Lisa Nandy, want to vote yes. It’s supposed to be a sign of reconciliation – towards the former Labour districts lost to the Tories in the last election and then arguing for Brexit. Everyone here now agrees that a no-deal scenario would be worse.There is nevertheless strong protest against the agreement, especially from the fishing industry. The 25 percent reduction in the EU’s share of catches over the next five and a half years is too little for them. Barrie Deas, executive director of the British Fishermen’s Association, criticized the fact that fishing is being sacrificed for the sake of the treaty as a whole. The association’s website lists details of the agreement. For example, within five years, the U.K.’s share of cod from the English Channel would only increase from 9.3 to 10.2 percent, haddock in the Celtic Sea would only increase from 10 to 20 percent, and saithe from the North Sea would increase from 23 to only 26 percent.
“There is a deep sense of disappointment, betrayal and anger spreading throughout the fishing industry,” it continues. For her part, Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, sees the promise to Scottish fishermen* broken. Not to mention the Scottish potato seeds, which can now no longer be imported into the EU. Both of these are probably a reason for Sturgeon’s quest for Scottish independence and entry into the EU.
One issue not resolved in the agreement is the question of Gibraltar. However, Picardo, the head of the government there, is optimistic that a solution will be found. Asked about the future, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that his government is planning a number of changes – such as free ports, improvements in animal welfare and new data laws.
by Xavier Cuesta – European Correspondent – EN