OUR FUTURE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EU

At last we have a Prime Minister and Government who believes in the BREXIT strategy and who has given a determined and positive approach to bring about exiting the EU and honouring the 2016 Referendum.

We leave on 31 October 2019

For those of us who have been on the corridors of both the Brussels and Strasbourg scenes, who have seen first hand how the widening of EU powers has developed we have been waiting for the moment that the UK Exits to EU

A fundamental difference is the process of law. The UK and Ireland operate under Common Law whereas the EU and member states follow the Napoleonic system of law. There is a fundamental difference. The fact that the European Court of Justice follows the latter process puts us into conflict.

It is a fact however that most financial services activity across the worlds borders operates on a common law basis.

Boris Johnson has made a clear commitment that the UK will EXIT the EU on 31 October 2019. We are now in a position that we should have been in at the end of 2016

To those who still want to remain in the EU they should answer the 17.4m UK electorate that gave a clear mandate that we LEAVE the EU.

WHAT IS NOW NEEDED

A mandate was given by the British people to Leave the EU and the Johnson Government is saying that this will be honoured with a deadline of 31 October 2019

The Withdrawal Agreement is DEAD

There should be no amendments to the Withdrawal Agreement. The 585 pages of this document written by the EU Commission with footnotes covering EU Directives that the UK will have to comply with until the EU gives the UK permission to Leave the EU. Frankly a ridiculous and insulting process coming from an Institution that is NOT A STATE.

The UK is the 5th largest world economy.

We need to have a Free Trade Agreement negotiated and if the EU are going to drag their feet for years we must leave on WTO terms, which means No Deal. We can invoke Article XXlV of GATT to allow that process to take place

(As a caveat the UK must accept that the terms of trade with the EU member states means that goods and services must comply with the standards and rules that operate in those Home States. That means following those standards. In other words for the time being alignment with those EU stands – if a contractor of goods and services wishes to export to the EU member states.

Equally the EU member states will have to comply with the Home State standards and rules of the UK

It is for the reason that the EU members states import more to the UK than we do to the EU member states that both parties require mutual recognition of those standards and rules and an agreement on zero tariff rates. This is where the GATT rules come in.

The government should now come forward with a precise strategy to put to the UK electorate and keep us all advised on the progress of that strategy.

The current EU Withdrawal Agreement is dead, it cannot be renegotiated. It was composed by the EU Commission – all 585 pages written to include footnote references to current EU legislation.

Of great importance is that Article 4 of the Agreement is clear that the UK has to abide by all EU legislation during the implementation period and thereafter until the future relationship between the UK and the EU is finalised. During that period the rulings of the ECJ will apply (scroll back in this Blog for these terms)

We will not be at the Council table to adopt these laws, not in the European Parliament to scrutinise them and adopt them. Not at the Commission table to initiate and enforce these laws.

Some of these laws may be totally against the UK’s national interest.

Article 4 spells out that the UK has become subservient to the EU.

The majority of those who voted to LEAVE wanted the UK to initiate our own sovereign law making process.

I repeat the EU Withdrawal Agreement needs to be totally scrapped

A new arrangement needs to be established and negotiated between the UK and the EU

A Free Trade Agreement needs to be established

A Deal can be agreed if there is the political will

OTHERWISE

We Exit the EU with No Deal

(Can you imagine business and workers in EU member states realising that their goods and services will be dearer exported to the UK.

REMEMBER ALSO EU member states trade with Third countries under WTO terms unless they have agreed a FTA)

Wilfred Aspinall

• Former Member European Economic and Social Committee
• Director and Strategy Adviser Aspinall Brussels
• Former Chairman Forum in the European Parliament for Construction (and Energy Users)