16 January 2020

Financial Times: Boris Johnson accused of ‘brinkmanship’ by EU trade chief

The EU’s trade chief has accused Boris Johnson of Brexit “brinkmanship”, complaining that the British prime minister’s approach to negotiations was creating uncertainty for business.

Trade commissioner Phil Hogan said that Mr Johnson’s determination not to prolong Britain’s post-Brexit transition period beyond the end of this year had “unwisely” created an end of 2020 deadline for the EU and UK to broker a trade deal.

Speaking at an event in Washington DC, he warned that the short timeframe “puts enormous pressure on the UK system, and then of course on the EU system” to meet the deadline.

Mr Hogan also warned that it would be legally very difficult for Britain to change its mind and request an extension later on, even if it became clear to both sides that more time was needed.

“We need to wake up to this reality that gamesmanship and brinkmanship is not going to work on this occasion,” he warned.

The comments emphasise the EU’s conviction that it will prove impossible to construct a full future relationship with the UK in the 11 months between Brexit day and the end of this year, when the standstill arrangements created by the transition period will expire.

British officials have dismissed such warnings from Brussels as a negotiating tactic intended to lure the UK into requesting an extension — something which would require Britain to make extra contributions to the EU budget and to continue applying all European law despite being outside the EU.

The UK also argues that Brussels is misrepresenting the situation, given that the end of 2020 deadline is enshrined in the divorce deal that the EU first negotiated with the former UK prime minister, Theresa May, and then with Mr Johnson, and so is not a British invention. [...]

Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Mr Hogan underlined that under the terms of its Brexit divorce deal Britain would need to request an extension to the transition period by the end of June.

The timeframe had created a “cliff edge ” that was “not exactly helpful to the business community,” he said.

Speaking via video link at an event in London earlier in the day, Mr Hogan said that European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s conclusion from meeting Mr Johnson last week was that “we have to prioritise” as it is “just not possible” to conclude a full deal by the end of this year.

“We should not pencil ourselves into timelines again,” he said. “They are not helpful.” Mr Hogan suggested, that because of the need to prioritise in the negotiations, “security and defence may have to wait until 2021” while economic issues “will be centre stage from the word go.” [...]

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