Barnier answers….

Michel Barnier on Thursday categorically ruled out a new customs arrangement put forward by the U.K. as a way to overcome the biggest obstacles to completing a withdrawal treaty.

At a news conference at the European Commission headquarters — the first alongside his new British counterpart, Dominic Raab — the EU’s chief negotiator said the bloc would not delegate the execution of its customs policy.

Barnier previously had expressed skepticism about the white paper and the customs proposal, but at Thursday’s news conference he torpedoed it.

P olitico summerizes the comments by Barnier in an article as follows.

“The EU cannot — and the EU will not — delegate the application of its customs policy and rules, VAT and excise duty collection, to a non-member who would not be subject to the EU’s governance structures,” Barnier said.

“Any customs arrangements or customs union — and I have always said that the EU is open to a customs union — must respect this principle,” Barnier said. “In any case, a customs union, which would help to reduce friction at the border, would come with our Common Commercial Policy for goods.”

“They know the rules of the single market perfectly,” Barnier said referring to Raab and May’s oft-stated intention to leave the single market. “They know the indivisibility of the four freedoms that are fundamental to the single market. And they want to leave the customs union as well. And of course they know too the key condition of that, which is being part and parcel of a strong common trade policy. These are the red lines that have been laid down.”

Here is a link to an article about the statement: https://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-negotiation-trade-eu-shoots-down-theresa-mays-customs-plan/

Source: Politico