Prime Minister Boris Johnson has fought away the notion that the post-Brexit transition period could be extended due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The biggest group of MEPs in the European Parliament had warned that the UK will face a ‘double whammy’ if the Prime Minister insists on ending Britain’s compliance with EU single market rules at the end of the year.
The warnings were echoed by British opposition parties, arguing that the Government must now seek more time for trade talks to continue, with the EU suggesting today that a further delay of up to two years could be possible.
However, the PM and his administration have repeatedly vowed that an extension to the transition period is out of the question, citing it should be possible to negotiate a comprehensive free trade agreement by then.
Prime Minister’s spokesman said yesterday that the Government had no plan to change course on the negotiations, telling reporters: “The transition period ends on December 31, 2020. This is enshrined in UK law.”
However, the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) grouping said the coronavirus epidemic further complicated matters and turned the timetable “unrealistically tight” for securing a deal.
Christophe Hansen MEP, a negotiator on the parliament’s international trade committee, said: “Under these extraordinary circumstances, I cannot see how the UK Government would choose to expose itself to the double whammy of the coronavirus and the exit from the EU single market, which will inevitably add to the disruption, deal or no deal.
“I can only hope that common sense and substance will prevail over ideology. An extension of the transition period is the only responsible thing to do.”
As a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, the talks will take place by video conference, with the British side led by Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and the EU by European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic. This follows after both David Frost the chief British negotiator and Michel Barnier the EU’s chief negotiator, contracted Covid-19.
At a press briefing today, EU spokesperson Daniel Ferrie added: “The joint committee may adapt a single decision extending the transition for up to one or two years. What this means in practice is that there would need to be a mutual EU-UK agreement to extend the transition”.
Downing Street confirming that informal talks are continuing, the PM’s spokesman said: “We have shared legal texts and they are the subject of informal discussions between ourselves and the European Commission.
“They are conversations that are taking place via telephone as both sides analyse each other’s respective legal texts. ‘We’d expect those types of conversations to be carrying on this week.”
Another Number 10 spokesperson told the Metro: “Last week the UK and EU shared draft legal texts and discussions with the Commission are continuing.”
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