Brexit Catch-Up: Negotiations So Far

 

Since the Brexit negotiations began on the 19th June, we have reported on the Brexit expat offer and what will become of the EHIC card post-Brexit. However, given that the process of the UK leaving the EU is well into its third month, we thought it best to give an overview of all the happenings so far surrounding Brexit and its development.

The negotiations between the EU and the UK continue. Major discussions were held in July and August, both followed my press conferences that many found unnerving as it seemed little had been solidified.

Both the EU and the UK teams did agree there had been some decisions made on some technical points. However, David Davis (the UK’s Brexit Secretary) made it known that the EU needed to ‘start thinking about people, not process’. EU Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, agreed that nothing of substance had come from conversations on the main issues of Brexit.

Money Troubles

The main spanner in the works at the moment, and the cause of slow progress, is centred around money. The UK understandably wants their final exit bill to be as low as possible whereas the EU need it to be as high as possible. This is not simply out of malice. When the UK officially leaves the EU, there will be a hole in the EU budget, and the EU negotiation team want to secure enough money to cover this loss.

Currently, there are disagreements on how to calculate the UK’s final bill.

The UK states that only annual budgets should count as it will not subsidise other countries once it has left the EU.

On the other hand, the EU say that the UK has a number of huge financial commitments which will need to be met even when they have left the EU.

Development for the UK

The EU Withdrawal bill will feature for the second time in the house of Commons in early September, with voting taking place on Monday 11th.

This bill will annul the legislation put in place in 1973, when the UK became part of the European Economic Community. The passing of this bill will have a knock-on effect, altering countless sections of EU legislation in UK law.

Later in the autumn, a number of government White Papers will be released on immigration, trade and customs. This will be the first time some tangible information has been released in writing in regard to Brexit.

Next for the EU Negotiators

On the 19th and 20th of October, an EU summit will be held in Brussels. Both the UK and EU negotiation teams have planned two meetings, in the weeks beginning the 18th of September and 9th of October, where it is said they will amp up the pace of conversation ahead of the summit.

The summit will be the time when the other 27 countries decide whether ‘sufficient progress’ has been made on the following separation issues :

* Finances

* Citizens’ rights

* Irish border

It will be a yes or no vote. If the country leaders vote yes, negotiations will continue forward, with talk about trade and the future relationship between the UK and EU countries.

If they do not deem progress made to be of an acceptable level, it’s back to the drawing board.

Recommended Reading :

* Shining a light on the Brexit Expat offer

* Returning Expats could cost NHS 1Bln post-Brexit