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Speaking at the @epc_eu @MichelBarnier states that "Exactly 4 years ago today, we woke to discover that the UK voted to leave the EU and they set the clock ticking with very real deadlines." #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier "The political #Brexit on 31 January was only the first step. Last week, @BorisJohnson confirmed that the UK would not request an end of transition. This is the UK's choice. Transition ends on 31/12 and UK leaves the CU + SM. Economic #Brexit will take place.
. @MichelBarnier on #Brexit at the @epc_eu "We have now reached mid-point in our negotiation calendar but we are definitely NOT half-way through our work to get an agreement...even without #Covid19 we would not have made more progress"
. @MichelBarnier "On the one hand in the UK we have the Brexiteers and large part of the Tory party who want a hard #Brexit and complete sovereignty. On the other side we have businesses and the devolved administrations who called for an extension"
. @MichelBarnier "The UK still wants to diverge from EU standards and the level playing field and we have the UK wanting to go back on agreements made in the withdrawal agreement." #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier "The UK is requesting a special status on proximity to the single market. The UK wants to keep the benefits without any obligations. The UK often tells us that it is in our interests to stick to the status quo. Is it?"
. @MichelBarnier "For example, UK car companies could source products from around the world to produce a car and then sell into the EU tariff and quota free. But why make it easy for the UK when 80% of UK car manufacturer parts are already sourced from the EU?"
. @MichelBarnier "We want to find deal but we will never sacrifice the EU's interests for the benefit of the UK...Our duty will always be to protect the interests of the EU citizens and businesses"
. @MichelBarnier "Our problem does not relate to timings or methods but to substance - the UK keeps on backtracking on commitments made in the political declaration. Yes, it is not binding but it was agreed at the highest level, every comma, with @BorisJohnson"
. @MichelBarnier "The ball is in the UK's court but the UK has shown no willingness to engage. The real moment of truth will be in October, which is when we will have to put a draft deal to the European Parliament and Council if we want ratification by end of year"
. @MichelBarnier "We need the UK to implement the withdrawal agreement in all its areas" @epc_eu
"Progress on Northern Ireland remains unsatisfactory. The UK needs to move beyond good intentions to operational measures" #Brexit
"Progress on Northern Ireland remains unsatisfactory. The UK needs to move beyond good intentions to operational measures" #Brexit
"the implementation of the deal on N Ireland is the premise for any deal on the future relationship"
. @MichelBarnier speaking @epc_eu on #Brexit "On 1 January, the 4 freedoms will not apply to the UK and business will not be as frictionless as it is today"
. @MichelBarnier "It is in everybody's interests to avoid a 'no deal' in particular the UK, which would be more affected than the EU"
. @MichelBarnier on #Brexit "I am not optimistic, I am not pessimistic, I am determined"
. @FabianZuleeg asks about an extension later in the year, @MichelBarnier "legally speaking, I do not see how such an extension would be feasible. We even discussed the idea of a 'cautious extension' but the UK does not want this so I do not see how it could be possible"
This is interesting, as @MichelBarnier hints that such an extension might be possible in theory but underlines that it would require the actual implementation of the withdrawal agreement, where the EU so far, is not convinced by the UK's efforts - again, just a hint, no more
. @MichelBarnier @epc_eu "The UK has to respect our sovereignty. We respect the UK's sovereignty. On fisheries, if we stick to our positions, there will be no agreement at all. We are ready to find compromises"
. @MichelBarnier @epc_eu "In a no deal scenario, there will be checks for every good entering the single market from the UK from 1 January and it also means tariffs and quotas. If we have a deal, there will be no tariffs and no quotas. This is a huge difference."
. @MichelBarnier @epc_eu "The protocol on N Ireland is not for the negotiations. This has already been ratified by both sides. There is no negotiation on this point. Deal or no deal, this part must be implemented and will be implemented" #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier @epc_eu "We spent many days and nights on this point with @theresa_may with @BorisJohnson with the Irish Government, with political leaders in N Ireland. This is not about trade. This is about people and peace. I know the sensitivity of this issue" #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier "I take note of the decision by the UK not to engage on foreign policy, defence, space and cyber. I regret this decision. If you look at the political declaration, you see many paragraphs negotiated to these issues" @epc_eu
. @MichelBarnier "I know it is in our interests to build a common dialogue, for example at the UN, on sanctions, UK participation in certain external EU operations" #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier BREAKING 
"We will not be able to do everything in 4 months. We will focus on the key areas." #Brexit
"We will not be able to do everything in 4 months. We will focus on the key areas." #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier speaking at @epc_eu "We have many areas where we have made progress, for example on nuclear co-operation. On internal security, we are ore or less on the same lines as the UK. On the objectives [in these areas] we are not far from an agreement" #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier "on governance, the member states and the EP are very attached to an overall framework for the governance of the agreement. The political declaration mentions this"
. @MichelBarnier "The Swiss deal has shown the downside of not having an overall framework. We will insist on such a framework"
. @MichelBarnier "On the level playing field, we are in negotiations, I do not want to publicly comment on this. We are ready on this point, like fisheries, we are ready to work on landing zones, reflecting the EU's mandate" @epc_eu #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier "The UK is in a unique situation in comparisons with all other non-EU countries all over the world. There are 0KM as regards the single market from the UK to Ireland and 32km between the UK and France"
. @MichelBarnier "We are not naive. We want zero tariffs and zero quotas and we want the trade to be free and fair. I am disappointed that the UK doesn't want to engage on this. In other trade deals (AUS, NZ, US) the UK seems to want a level playing field but why not with us?"
. @MichelBarnier on the idea about the possibility of imposing tariffs if the UK were to diverge from EU standards "I will not comment on the specifics of this proposal. The political declaration mandates us to avoid distortions and unfair advantages and this was agreed by the UK"
. @MichelBarnier "The political declaration already allows us to do this, in any case. Let me repeat, however, the level playing field is not for sale. Even if tariffs come in, we will STILL demand strong level playing field arrangements" #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier "We respect the UK's sovereignty but the UK must respect our autonomy. Dynamic alignment is not to constrain the other side. Respecting our respective sovereignties we can achieve regulatory coherence" #Brexit
. @MichelBarnier concludes "We hope sincerely that we can make progress in the coming weeks" ENDS - thanks to @epc_eu for organising
