Post-Brexit trade relations between the UK and the EU: Productive cooperation or forced labour

(Patria) – Representatives of the United Kingdom will present their own vision of a trade agreement with the EU in Brussels on Monday.

The proposal by the former EU member is expected to be based on previously expressed dissatisfaction with the EU's demands that the UK continue to strictly adhere to its rules in order to maintain access to the European market.

Anticipating a deepening clash of opinions that cannot lead the parties to an agreement, France has warned of a possible even greater distancing between the two sides. However, Britain and the EU have agreed to walk away from the negotiating table if it turns out that the differences are irreconcilable and cannot be bridged.

The British vision of trade relations with the EU will be presented by David Frost, the chief Brexit negotiator. It is assumed that Frost, in his address at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), will propose an agreement similar to the one the EU has with countries such as Japan, South Korea and Canada.

For such a type of agreement, the government of Boris Johnson claims that it requires compliance with EU rules only in terms of workers' rights and the environment, while envisaging almost tariff-free access to markets. Johnson and his team believe that stricter compliance with EU rules would mean that the UK left the EU only declaratively.

It is also anticipated that Brussels will insist on special circumstances, i.e., obligations towards the EU due to the proximity of the UK as well as the degree of its integration in Europe, which ultimately may mean that Britain will have to comply with EU rules if it wants a tariff-free agreement. The EU also wants to maintain access to British waters for fishing vessels.

The UK officially left the EU on 31 January. During the transition period, which expires on 31 December 2020 and which the EU considers too short, the two sides will seek to reach a trade agreement and an agreement on future relations.