If it’s a good party, no-one leaves early

Brexit talks break up, Frost leaves Brussels a day early

Are these ‘trade negotiations’ now no more than a sham?

Yesterday lunchtime the UK’s Chief Negotiator, David Frost, decided there was no point in continuing the trade talks with the EU which were supposed to have continued through until noon today. He and his team left Brussels and returned to London.

This was the first round of the new “intensified talks” which are scheduled to continue throughout July. It lasted just 20 hours, including the niceties. Only four hours were spent on actual negotiations about trade in goods and services.

As usual, once the talks had concluded, statements were issued by both sides. For the first time, however, Michel Barnier decided not to hold one of his very long press conferences. His statement was also many times shorter than the usual rambling monologue to which journalists and the public have been treated in the past.

David Frost’s statement was as positive as he could manage

“We have completed our discussion of the full range of issues in the negotiation in just over three days. Our talks were face to face for the first time since March and this has given extra depth and flexibility to our discussions.

“The negotiations have been comprehensive and useful. But they have also underlined the significant differences that still remain between us on a number of important issues.

“We remain committed to working hard to find an early understanding on the principles underlying an agreement out of the intensified talks process during July, as agreed at the HLM on 15 June.

“Talks will continue next week in London as agreed in the revised terms of reference published on 12 June.”

Michel Barnier’s statement had the usual whiff of desperation about it

“This week, David Frost and I continued our discussions, together with a restricted number of experts on each side.

“As agreed two weeks ago at the High-Level Meeting between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Presidents Ursula von der Leyen, David Sassoli and Charles Michel, the EU sought to inject new dynamics in the talks.

“Our goal was to get negotiations successfully and quickly on a trajectory to reach an agreement. However, after four days of discussions, serious divergences remain.

“The EU side had listened carefully to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's statements in recent weeks, in particular, his request to reach a political agreement quickly, and his red lines: no role for the European Court of Justice in the UK; no obligation for the UK to continue to be bound by EU law; and an agreement on fisheries that shows Brexit makes a real difference.

“The EU engaged constructively, as we had already done during the fourth round of negotiations in June. We did so in line with the mandate entrusted to the European Commission by the Council, with the support of the European Parliament.

“The EU's position remains, based on the Political Declaration, that there will be no economic partnership without:

robust guarantees for a level playing field – including on state aid – to ensure open and fair competition among our businesses;
a balanced, sustainable and long-term solution for our European fishermen and women;
an overarching institutional framework and effective dispute settlement mechanisms.

“And we will continue to insist on parallel progress on all areas.

“The EU expects, in turn, its positions to be better understood and respected in order to reach an agreement. We need an equivalent engagement by the United Kingdom.

“We continue to believe that an agreement is possible and in everyone's interest. We look forward to the next round of negotiations in the week of 20 July. In the meantime, and as agreed, we will continue our discussions in London next week.”

Observations

Our read of David Frost's statement is as follows:

“This is an utter waste of time. I'm going through the motions for appearance's sake, but we'll can this charade as soon as we've got the optics right and can show the world what impossible people we're dealing with.”

And what are the EU really saying?

The key sentence in Monsieur Barnier’s statement is this one: “The EU expects, in turn, its positions to be better understood and respected in order to reach an agreement.”

The translation of this is, in essence:

“Look, we’ve told you what we demand of you. We will be obeyed. Anything else means you are either stupid or wilfully disrespectful of the all-powerful European Union.”

We do not mean the above as flippantly as it may sound. In the EU’s many sprawling and towering buildings in Brussels, the loved-up, europhile inhabitants really do live in another world.

Not only do they live and work in this other world, totally protected from the economic ravages now playing out across their empire, they have developed a belief system so alien to that of ordinary people that the concept of an independent country, free of their rules, is almost incomprehensible to them.

Shall we just move on?

In these days of instant global news, the United Kingdom must be able to hold its head up high – and for this to seem completely fair and reasonable to the rest of the world. The EU has developed a massive PR machine - in common with all other totalitarian regimes – and it’s essential that the UK Government prepare the ground before any collapse in the talks.

Next week Michel Barnier and his highly-paid fellow-travellers from the EU Commission will arrive in London for the first UK-EU talks ever to be held outside of Brussels. (And high time too.)

Wouldn’t it be a great place to call out the EU and call off the talks? We don’t think this will happen, but it’s a tempting thought.

And talking of tempting thoughts, can we tempt you to make a donation to keep us going, if you haven't already done so? Quick and secure methods are below. Thank you so much if you can give a little something today.

[ Sources: No.10 | EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Fri 03 July 2020

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Reader Comments 18

1. Andrea S , Friday, July 03, 2020, 06:19:

Looking good!👍😁

2. Michael H , Friday, July 03, 2020, 06:24:

What these talks have proved is that the EU do not want competition, they need the ECJ to come down on their side in disputes, without total control of fishing they will fail!
What wonderful people to do business with!

3. Jon, Wales , Friday, July 03, 2020, 06:52:

I'm pleased David Frost walked away from these so-called negotiations. The EU commission don't like it when they don't have the whip-hand.
I for one REFUSE to be controlled by the EU in any way whatsoever.
The commission still don't get it (whatever garbage they may now utter), that the UK has regained its status as a sovereign independent self-governing nation state, so just what part of that does Mr Barnier not understand? Does he actually realise he's making himself look a fool.
Perhaps Mr Barnier should be asked which non-EU countries the commission control with whom they have trade.
If EU elites dislike our country so much (given the abuse we receive), and even though we're their major customer and presently their second highest net contributor, why on earth are we wasting our time discussing with them when we (probably) know they want things to remain the same - their UK piggy bank.
Peoples across EU member countries should be telling their political leaders and representatives to cease their hostile attitude towards our country. It's not the EU elites who will suffer, it will be businesses across the continent who suffer as British people reduce buying EU product because we're sick and tired of being threatened by the commission because they can't get their own way.
It's high time Prime Minister Johnson withheld UK monies stuffing the EU budget - If it's okay for the commission and Mrs Merkel to break their rules as and when it suits them, then it's okay for us to withhold British taxpayers money from the EU budget.
I'd like to see our £10+ BILLION NET contribution remain on UK soil for UK interests?
Top marks to David Frost for holding firm against the EU, because Boris has a large Brexit mandate he must deliver, and he knows this.
This said, I will not be happy until we've left all EU institutions and governance, and our fisheries are restored - we owe UK fishermen big-time, so buy from them.

4. Simon, Wiltshire , Friday, July 03, 2020, 07:58:

There's another telling line in M. Barnier's statement: "We did so (the engagement) in line with the mandate entrusted to the European Commission by the Council, with the support of the European Parliament."
Is he trying to say that he has no room for manoeuvre because of his bosses' instructions? i.e. it's not his fault.

5. Not4EU, London , Friday, July 03, 2020, 08:14:

Sham? It's a farce, & not a very good one either.
What 'trade' talks? In Frost's 'Mayspeak', they still appear to have been to "find an early understanding on the principles underlying an agreement". FOUR years on & it's STILL at pre-talk levels, with the EU demanding that we must demonstrate that we 'respect' them by legally agreeing to follow their laws & rules & letting them continue to pillage our territorial waters unencumbered. How very gangland.
After the election, the words were clear. If there was no broad agreement on terms by 30th June, then our efforts & focus would move to fully preparing (again) for WTO on 1st January as no 'deal' could be both concluded and prepared for by 31st December. Here we are in July and the opening positions are still being set out. Yet all we hear is the sound of a can being kicked down the road, yet again.
The Govt should have said July, as the EU were never going to 'move' until an extension was impossible under the Treaty, but this week's 'talks' showed nothing has really changed. Next week 'should' be the final nail in the coffin, clearly demonstrating that there is STILL no 'broad agreement' & to walk away, & prepare for leaving properly. Talks will always continue for years to come.

6. Sydney Ashurst , Friday, July 03, 2020, 08:47:

I like your sentence "Not only do they live and work in this other world, totally protected from the economic ravages now playing out across their empire, they have developed a belief system so alien to that of ordinary people that the concept of an independent country, free of their rules, is almost incomprehensible to them."
It sums up perfectly the EU Commission.
Why does Barnier continue with his blatant nonsense 'level playing field'. He spells it out as being State Aid which the EU does not observe. Germany and Italy have taken major stakes in their National airlines and France will follow

7. Sydney Ashurst , Friday, July 03, 2020, 09:15:

Despite the economic ravage caused by Covid 19 the EU is still mired in the Brussels bureaucracy. Hot off the press.
The European Commission announced on Thursday (2 July) that it would launch an infringement procedure against ten EU member states that are in breach of the bloc’s passenger rights rules. Greece and Italy were hit with legal action twice.
According to the Commission, national legislation in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, France, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia still violates EU rules.
Passengers in the EU are entitled to a refund in case of cancelled travel arrangements – a common scenario these days due to the coronavirus – and are supposed to receive it within two weeks of requesting reimbursement.
But in the ten countries, the Commission concluded that authorities are still allowing companies to either only offer passengers the choice of a travel voucher or taking longer than 14 days to complete the refund process.
The Companies are probably BROKE, so how do they pay? Its not la-la land, its eu land.

8. Concerned , Friday, July 03, 2020, 09:37:

I think the whole almost 5 years since the momentous referendum has been an utter shamble and farce. There is no reason on mother earth that I can realistically come up with that seems acceptable to explain why the heck Great Britain is still a member of this socialist nightmare.

9. Melvyn T , Friday, July 03, 2020, 10:30:

Why waste time? Quote clearly the position of the EU has not changed at all. They still want to be able to control every aspect of our lives.

10. Keith , Friday, July 03, 2020, 10:43:

Surely the fishing rights and laws should be as was before we joined the common market and as for the French fisherman and women who say they will be out of work tuff because they never bothered about our fishing industry when they caused it to collapse!!!

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