between the two sides allows for the transition
to be extended for two more years, but British
Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists he will not
agree to that.
Johnson’s Conservative government says the
U.K. will be leaving the bloc’s structures —
including its single market for trade in goods
and services — as of Jan. 1, 2021.
Britain hopes by then to have a trade
agreement with the bloc similar to the one
struck between the EU and Canada. Such a deal
would eliminate tariffs and quotas on trade and
goods, but it’s less clear what it would mean for
the services sector that makes up four-fifths of
Britain’s economy.
The EU-Canada deal also took years to strike —
now the two sides have just months.
Britain’s negotiating guidelines insist that there
is “limited, but sufficient time” to get a deal.
The document says a “broad outline” of an
agreement should be done by June. It warns
that if there is not sufficient progress by then,
the U.K. could walk away and focus on “domestic
preparations to exit the transition period in an
orderly fashion.”
Britain’s tough talk is unlikely to impress EU
negotiators, who already accuse Johnson of
trying to water down commitments Britain
made in the divorce deal that paved the way
for the country’s seamless departure on Jan. 31.
That withdrawal agreement dealt with three
broad issues — citizens’ rights after Brexit,
Britain’s liabilities after 47 years of service and
the need to maintain a frictionless border
between EU member Ireland and Northern
Ireland, which is part of the U.K.Image: Jessica Taylor