EU WILL PAY: Brussels PANICS no-deal Brexit will hit Europe much HARDER than UK
THE European Union could be left worse off than Britain in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to shock warnings from Brussels officials.
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Brussels is growing worried over whether the bloc’s institutions will able to react quick enough to implement no-deal preparations being led by European Commission secretary-general Martin Selmayr.
The powerful German eurocrat’s task force is working on contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit, which officials have already warned will cause long queues at ports and aviation chaos.
In a 15-page document issued to the EU27, warnings paint a grim picture of the consequences for the customs, animal, health, pharmaceuticals and financial services sectors as a result of a no-deal divorce.
However, the decisions undertaken by the planning task force will have to be accepted by all of the member states and the European Parliament, giving rise to concerns over the bloc’s ability to implement any of its preparations.
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The European Court of Justice could also be brought into the equation if any challenges are made on whether the moves are compatible with the European treaties.
The European parliamentary election in May 2019 adds another layer of complexity to the conundrum because the current group of MEPs are due to break up around three weeks after Brexit and the Parliament’s next collection will not return until July.
Brussels’ summer shutdown will also likely wreak havoc on no-deal implementation as Jean-Claude Juncker’s current band of EU Commissioners will end their term in October next year.
Brussels is concerned the upheaval throughout the EU institutions will make it tough for the bloc to respond quickly enough to a number of potential consequences if a transition is not agreed as part of the withdrawal agreement.
“It will be very difficult to co-operate,” a EU official told The Times. “In most areas where we will need to act there will be national vetoes in play.
“All countries will be able to block.”
Under the Commission’s current plans, the EU would maintain certain regulatory permissions, such as safety certificates for airlines, for a time-limited period after Brexit.
A Commission spokesman said the planning is progressing well and the EU will be ready to deal with a no-deal Brexit.
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Member states are taking their own precautions to ensure a deal is concluded before Britain formally departs the EU on March 29, 2019.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is reportedly open to a softening of the EU’s negotiating guidelines to help Theresa May deliver on her controversial Chequers plan.
The Prime Minister will also be offered the opportunity to hold negotiations with her fellow heads of states at an informal EU summit in Salzburg, Austria in September.
Britain is in a better position to implement any of its no-deal planning because of its status as a single state.
The UK Government will be able to make rapid decisions to circumnavigate the most hazardous consequences of a no-deal Brexit, which could include allowing European aircraft to land at British airports or suspending customs checks to ensure goods are able to pass through Dover.
