EU wants Tough Enforcement Powers in Brexit Deal as UK “Cannot be Trusted”

BRUSSELS, KOMPAS.com – EU leaders are cracking down on Brexit negotiations after the UK’s recent attempt to breach the treaty.

French President Emmanuel Macron and the bloc’s other leaders will insist on tough enforcement rules for any trade deal with Britain, warning that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's bid to override the Brexit treaty has shown Britain's word cannot be trusted, the Financial Times reported.

Leaders at an upcoming summit on Thursday said they would call on EU Chief Brexit Negotiatior Michel Barnier to ensure that "level playing field" guarantees for European businesses competing with British companies.

Read also: Boris Johnson Backed by British MPs to Breach Brexit Treaty

EU diplomats are aiming to ensure Brussels has the right to take rapid retaliatory action if Britain breaches its commitments, the FT reported on Monday.

France and other fishing nations in the EU will emphasize their determination to preserve quota rights in British waters, leaving Barnier with limited space to tease out a deal, the newspaper reported.

The EU wants to secure consistent rights to fish in British waters, an important issue for France where coastal fishing communities are politically influential.

Britain wants a deal more like that of non-EU member Norway, under which quotas are set each year.

Read also: UK Lands a Fisheries Agreement with Norway in Latest Post-Brexit Trade Deal

Johnson has set a deadline of the October 15 EU summit for agreement on a post-Brexit deal, and an EU diplomat said on Friday Barnier wants a few more concessions from Britain before entering the last intense phase of negotiations on a trade deal.

Johnson told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday that progress must be made in Brexit negotiations with the European Union in the coming days to bridge "significant gaps", in particular in the areas of fisheries and the level playing field, his office said.

Johnson repeated his belief that "while achieving a deal in the coming days would be beneficial for both sides, the UK was also prepared to end the transition period on Australia-style terms".

(Writer: Rama Venkat | Editors: Robert Birsel, Rashmi Aich)

Source: https://uk.reuters.com/article/britain-eu/update-1-eu-leaders-to-insist-on-tough-enforcement-powers-in-brexit-deal-ft-idUKL8N2H306X