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BREXIT SECRETARY DAVID Davis has insisted today that he expects the UK to reach agreement on the terms of a transition deal for leaving the European Union “before the end of March”.
The UK is set to officially leave the EU in March 2019, but plans to abide by many of the EU’s rules for around two years to make the transition more orderly.
Davis said that Britain and the EU should have agreed the “substantive” terms of their permanent future relationship by March 2019.
But the structure of the transition deal, which is expected to run until 2020/21, is the cause of heated debate.
“I would expect it before the end of March,” Davis told a parliamentary committee when asked when the terms of the transition deal would be agreed.
I’m relaxed about transition because my primary concern is about the future relationship, that’s what matters, that’s what people will judge us on in 10, 20, 30 years time.
The minister said a transition deal was essential to give governments and businesses time to adapt to the future arrangement.
Davis said that during this period, “we will be replicating to a very large extent the operations of the single market and customs union” and that the UK would remain subject to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
Brexit supporters from Davis’s own Conservative party criticised the plans, saying Britain would be a “vassal state” of the EU during this period.
“If on 30 March 2019, the UK is subject to the ECJ, takes new rules relating to the single market and is paying into the European budget, are we not a vassal state?” asked MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Citizens rights ‘moral issue’
Davis replied that in the future Britain would no longer be bound by the rules of membership of the EU’s custom union that are currently preventing it from negotiating trade deals with nations outside the EU.
However, he did admit that this issue could be a sticking point in upcoming negotiations on the transition deal and that Britain would probably have to abide by new rules handed down by the EU during the transition, without having a say on them.
He also revealed that Britain would continue paying into the EU during the transition period, potentially before all the details of the final deal have been agreed, but stressed that Britain would not pay to access the single market as part of the permanent deal.
Davis moved to calm fears of EU citizens living in Britain, saying they would be taken care of even if Britain crashed out without a deal.
“One way or another we will resolve this issue. I’d say to anyone who is worried about this issue: don’t be,” he said, calling it a “moral issue”.
Representatives from Britain’s Brexit department have been meeting with EU officials in Brussels in recent weeks, said Davis, but formal negotiations will restart in March.
British MPs gave the green light last week to a landmark Brexit bill that will transfer four decades of EU rules onto the British statute books, although it faces a battle in passing the upper House of Lords.
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Ireland set to become the most expensive place in Europe. I’m March 2019 ireland will be the highest in all 41 countries for college fees.
Is that something to be proud of Leo?
@Lily: Did you not get the memo after leos speech yesterday Lily? We can all just borrow the money off Mommy and Daddy.
@Lily: Sssssssssh or he’ll wack you on the head with his ‘world’s best taoiseach’ mug. Anybody who objects to “the republic of photo opportunity” will be sent to the poolbeg incinerator.
Freedom of Movement in the EU means you are welcome to head off to a cheaper location of your choosing within it.
Where would you pick?
@Lily: There’s too many useless expensive degrees. The university system needs reform. It should be privatised. We should have 3rd level education like in Germany where there are specialist colleges for particular industries. It’s currently run for the benefit of staff.
@William Grogan: Germany abolished fees in 2014. Students pay 150-200 euro a year for canteen and recreation facilities.
@Lily: What 41 countries do You mean. ?? .. Missed that bit..
I am trying to figure out where May and Davis are getting their blind optimism from, even as late as last week Macron spelled it out to Theresa May, to have favorable access to the EU, you have to follow EU rules. Yet listening to May and Davis it appears they are convinced the EU is going to set its base principals aside and create a special membership status for the UK.
@Kevin Barry: The Brexiteers are taking a leaf out of Trump’s stickypaged book of ‘tell the people it will be wonderful and they’ll be very very happy’
It worked very well with dismantling Obamacare and throwing 25 million people to the wolves.
@Kevin Barry: Its basically a form of propaganda, keep telling everyone that everythting is on track and going to be great. The agenda then is that when it does not, they will blame the EU for leading them along and not making them aware of the issues the EU have!
They don’t need blind optimism any more than UK is going to need your Irish beef. Its best if the EU sets aside its precious corporate principles for your sake.
We should leave too, before we are drafted into the new EU army that has already seen the Germany send their Panzers to Turkey to crush the Kurds. With a new EU super state our corporate tax will be standard for all of EU which will destroy many jobs here. Ireland trade with UK will be dramatically reduced and Ireland will have to pay more to the EU on top of the billions paid to European banks. Then there is the destruction of the fishing industry and uncontrolled migration that sees the transport health and housing system crumble under the weight.
@GO GREEN:
Looks like Davis isn’t the only fantasist around.
@P.J. Nolan: Is this a fantasy http://www.dw.com/en/german-government-under-fire-over-leopard-tanks-in-syria/a-42266367
@P.J. Nolan: Or this bearing in mind that a new European army would in essence be an extension of German power http://www.dw.com/en/germanys-cabinet-approved-record-breaking-arms-exports/a-42282068
@GO GREEN: You need to read that again mate, Germant made leapard tanks being used in Turkey by Turkish army.. Certainly not German panzer troops
Nothing wrong with having an army trained with other EU countries for the job of defending our country, better than paying them to sit in a barracks..
@GO GREEN: __ Pure and utter tin-foil hat shyte.
@Chris Kirk: I am talking about Panzer tanks not troops and even most Germans are angry about their use against the Kurds but you are quite happy about that it seems.
@GO GREEN: An EU army is not even on the table for discussion, it was a remark by Junkers, who as a virtual civil servant should not even be proposing EU policy. Its the brainchild of Guy Verhofstadt but it is at present not even a proposal for the Council of Ministers , the EU Parliament or the EU commission.
It has been used as a scare mongering tactic by the Daily Mail and the Sun.
As for Ireland leaving the EU ?, consider that the UK takes about 14% of out total exports and the remaining 86% of our exports are via EU trade agreements Ireland leaving the EU is a non starter.
@Kevin Barry: Sorry Kevin, but even the dogs on the street know that Europe’s permanent structured co-operation on defence (Pesco) – is the first steppingstone towards an EU army.
@GO GREEN: last thing Europe needs is an army, it’ll just provoke Putin.
@GO GREEN: Don’t be too sure about that, it would cause a huge constitutional problem in Germany and many EU countries would not be too keen on German troops on their soil.
@GO GREEN: Great idea. Let’s go back to the utopian country Ireland was pre 1973!? Seriously. There are many things wrong here but that is down to political incompetence/corruption etc and…The ongoing selfishness/greed mantra of the people i.e. I’m ok, F**k everyone else.
@alphanautica: Totally agree with you there – it will also provoke an arms race as if there not enough weapons in the world already.
@Fred Coloe: Ah sure why do we have loose our democracy freedom neutrality just because we want to trade with other nations – we would be going back to pre 1916 – lot worse than pre 73.
@Kevin Barry: Kevin you are right but the EU wants to be a super state/power and it cannot be a super power unless it has its army.
When all is said and done ,the uk will have paid a terribly high price for border control ,may and davis are putting on a brave face ,what other option do they have ,thier hands are tied .
@Anthony Gallagher: The UK will more than likely stay closely aligned to the Common Market – paying for access and accepting the free movement of EU citizens. A very high price for the blue passports that they could of had at any time, as EU members.
@Ruairi Gagarin: The Norwegian prime minister at Davos reckons that if Britain gets the same deal as Norway got then they should have nothing to complain about. The problem with Davis is that he thinks he can do better even with all of the red lines they have set. He could be in for a shock as Macron has already laid out the EU position that they intend to stick too.
Good riddance to them.
He is an optimist
@P.J. Nolan: Davis is more like a fantasist.
@Ruairi Gagarin:
That too.
Misleading headline. You could have added the year
And where oh where is the Irish border problem. We could easily be thrown under teh bus by the EU and the UK. We got a rather vague promise. We have to be careful that the reality means something.
Along with this we need a Brexit aid package. Why? Look at the map and where we are.
Top UK Brexit Official better not get off his Knees just yet !
@Johnny Mason: __ He will when he’s finished sucking up to them.
@Ted Murray: __ Pure and utter tin-foil hat shyte.
It’s gone beyond “emperor’s new clothes” and entered the territory of most cringe-inducing daytime television.
Jeremy Kyle should interview DD and TM: we’d get more accurate information out of them.
Awwhh, don’t go,….see ya!!
This sounds optimistic to the point of naive. Little has changed since December where most points were fudged…
The reality is the UK is the fifth largest economy in the world , perhaps that’s where we get our so called blind optimism about the future from. http://customscorporate.com
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