EU: UK needs ambitious Brexit trade deal, not WTO terms

European Union will only offer Britain unique access to its vast single market if U.K. agrees to stick to bloc’s standards, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday, dismissing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s idea of brokering a loose tre deal with bloc.

Von der Leyen said she was surprised that Johnson even raised possibility of negotiating an Australia-style free tre deal, including quotas and tariffs with EU, if he can’t reach a comprehensive agreement. She criticized Johnson’s plan Tuesday in front of a small audience at European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

“Australia is a strong and like-minded partner, but European Union does t have a tre agreement with Australia,″ said von der Leyen, he of bloc’s powerful executive arm. “We are currently tring on World Tre Organization terms.”

Von der Leyen ded: “If this is British choice, we are fine with that. We can decide to settle for less, but I personally believe we should be more ambitious.”

Britain left EU on Jan. 31 — first nation ever to do so — but it is continuing to follow EU regulations at least until end of year. During transition period, British government and EU leers will try to negotiate a free tre deal and agreements covering or areas like security cooperation.

Britain wants tre agreement to cover goods and services and exclude almost all tariffs. However, Johnson has been amant that U.K. won’t keep following all of EU’s regulations. To strike deals with or countries, Johnson wants flexibility to subscribe to varying standards for areas such as competition, state aid or even environment.

Von der Leyen insisted that 27-nation EU is offering Britain “something we have never offered before to anybody else” on condition that former EU nation guarantees fair competition and protections for workers and environment.

On Monday, leer of Scotland’s government warned that Britain would pay a “heavy cost” if it abandons EU rules and standards. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also reiterated her desire for a referendum to win Scotland’s independence from U.K. and possibility to join EU as a member country.

“As EU continually makes clear, more we diverge from EU standards, less access we will have to single market,” she said. “ right to diverge will come at a cost, a very heavy cost.”

Im Source: AP