The British side hoped to simplify customs and trade procedures, but the EU leadership adheres to the principle of “cherry-picking” (cherry-picking): it is impossible to enjoy the benefits of the single European market (including the free movement of goods) without fulfilling mutual obligations.
This is reported by the Financial Times. According to the newspaper’s sources, only a few EU countries considered London’s initiative, and they found the proposal too advantageous for the UK.
One of the concerns about the deal was that the UK could get more favorable terms than the EU member states themselves, including by lowering regulatory standards, the sources said.
Diplomats told the Financial Times that the countries that rejected the UK initiative still asked the European Commission “not to close this door definitively” – that is, to keep the idea for future negotiations. “We welcome the ambitious train of thought,” the interlocutor told the paper.
Unilateral Brexit
The publication recalls that last year the UK already sought mutual recognition of quality standards for the free circulation of its goods, but even then it was refused. At the same time, the country’s current Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised not to return to the single market or customs union, so as not to alienate Brexit supporters. At the same time, his potential successor Wes Streeting, on the contrary, insists on closer ties with the bloc, writes the Financial Times.
In addition, the UK still refuses to freely admit Europeans from the mainland. The main stumbling block was London’s categorical ban on the free movement of labor from the EU. Brussels emphasized that the free circulation of goods cannot exist separately from the free movement of people, services and capital. Giving London special privileges would be unfair to Norway and Switzerland, which for the sake of trade allow citizens of the union to live and work in their countries.
Instead of a large-scale market for goods, the EU has offered the UK narrower alternative formats for engagement. The sides plan to discuss them at the upcoming bilateral summit scheduled for July 13.
