Further flexibility needed from both sides, says business group – UK must guarantee rights of EU citizens, and EU must drop insistence ECJ be arbiter of withdrawal agreement
Responding to the latest round of Brexit negotiations, Allie Renison, Head of EU and Trade Policy at the Institute of Directors, said:
“The IoD welcomes clear signs of progress during this week’s round of negotiations, which shows that the Prime Minister’s intervention last week has helped to ease some of the deadlock.
“We are pleased to see further developments on citizens’ rights, but would warn both the UK and EU that further flexibility is needed in this and other areas to move the discussions on, at a faster pace. The clock is still ticking.
“The Government’s proposal to give direct effect to the withdrawal agreement is an important milestone, and the European Commission should move away from insisting that the ECJ be the ultimate arbiter and enforcement arm as a result. However, the UK still seems to be dragging its feet on matching the full content of EU nationals’ existing rights, which is hard to understand given the PM’s insistence in her Florence speech that these would be guaranteed.
“It is also imperative that both sides do not let these and other remaining separation issues block a discussion about transition, and hope that, if the Government has not already made a formal proposal for interim arrangements, that it will do so at the next negotiating round. Reports that the EU may be considering parallel discussions in this regard are very welcome indeed, and Brussels should acknowledge that this is a distinct question from future trade relations.”
