Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his government wants to repair the UK’s relations with the EU through a new broad-based security pact while also seeking better trading terms…reports Asian Lite News
Brussels has warned the UK it must fully implement existing Brexit agreements on Northern Ireland and the rights of EU citizens living in Britain if it wants to build an improved relationship with the bloc.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his government wants to repair the UK’s relations with the EU through a new broad-based security pact while also seeking better trading terms.
However, the European Commission has issued a list of eight demands, seen by the Financial Times, that the UK must fulfil to “demonstrate real UK government commitment” to honouring its Brexit divorce deal with Brussels.
The tough stance from the commission includes requests to fully implement elements of the existing Brexit agreements on Northern Ireland and the rights of EU citizens living in Britain, which EU diplomats described as a “test of good faith” in the new relationship.
Brussels also listed a requirement for the full implementation of a UK High Court ruling, which said that EU citizens living in Britain should not have to make a separate application to win “settled status” after completing the required five years of residence in the UK.
The bloc’s concerns were raised by EU commissioner Maroš Šefčovič directly with the UK’s new EU relations minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, on his first visit to Brussels on July 15 following Labour’s victory in the UK general election.
After the meeting, both emphasised their commitment to rebooting the relationship, but EU diplomats said the commission’s determination to hold the UK to previous agreements so soon demonstrated that its underlying approach would not change for Labour.
Thomas-Symonds said in a recent interview that he wanted a new “structured dialogue” with Brussels as part of plans to deepen ties on security, energy and trade, but a senior EU diplomat said the commission was “lukewarm” on the idea.
In a further signal of intent, the commission last week also pressed ahead with a threat of legal action against the UK that it began back in May 2020, in a move that several EU diplomats said was excessive.
The notice relates to the way the UK implemented EU free movement rules during the Brexit transition period. The UK now has two months to address the concerns or face a referral to the European Court of Justice.
“Why the commission felt it was necessary to do this now, after more than four years, is a complete mystery,” said one EU diplomat from a large EU state. “It’s important that this reset is made to work.”
“The timing was very bad,” said a second diplomat, adding that many commission officials dealing with the UK had a bunker mentality after eight years dealing with Conservative governments reluctant to keep their promises. “We need new thinking.”
Since taking office, Starmer has pledged to repair the relationship with Europe, which had been partially mended by former prime minister Rishi Sunak when he brokered the Windsor framework deal on Northern Ireland last year.
The bespoke deal includes a host of special dispensations in order to remove the appearance of a trade border in the Irish Sea. However, the EU paper contends the UK is still failing to properly implement the agreement.
The paper raises concerns about the failure of the UK authorities to accurately certify animal and plant products; requests that non-compliant consignments are rejected by vets at the border; and calls for a scheme to check pets to be “urgently deployed” while a new regime to provide data on the content of parcels is implemented “without delay”.
EU nations that have large numbers of citizens living in the UK are also pushing for better treatment, warning that their citizens are being turned down for jobs or rental properties as a result of uncertainties over their immigration status.
“This needs to be fixed before we talk about co-operation in new areas,” one diplomat said.
The UK’s Cabinet Office said it would not comment on leaks, but said that the government was working to reset the relationship with Europe via a new security pact and steps to lower barriers to trade with the EU.
“We’ve had very positive engagement in our early conversations and are committed to implementing the withdrawal agreement, including the Windsor framework in good faith protecting the UK internal market,” a spokesperson added.
The commission said: “The EU is committed to a positive agenda with the UK, based on the full respect, and the faithful and timely implementation of the withdrawal agreement, including the Windsor framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which are the cornerstone for the EU-UK relationship.”
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