Brussels, 29/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - Whatever status the United Kingdom negotiates with the EU, any access to the internal market will depend on the country respecting the four EU fundamental freedoms, particularly that of free movement of persons. This is the firm message the EU 27 was keen to send out to their British partner on Wednesday morning 29 June, during an informal discussion on the EU's future devoid of the membership of the United Kingdom.
On Tuesday evening 28 June, the outgoing British Prime Minister, David Cameron, suggested that the causes of the vote in favour of a Brexit related to the difficulties relating to immigration and free movement. According to British media sources, Cameron has said that the question of free movement was a major problem that needed to be resolved in the future and that the question of free movement is something that it will be impossible to avoid.
The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, explained “Today we made quite clear that access to the internal market required acceptance of all the fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of movement”. He repeated the warning made the previous day by the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, that there was not going to be a selective kind of access to the internal market.
On Wednesday, the President of France, François Hollande, stated: “If the United Kingdom wants to access the EU internal market on the same terms as Norway, it will have to respect the four freedoms of free movement of goods, services, capital and people and there can be no exemptions to this. The United Kingdom will have to accept all the rules, with all the obligations, particularly one of them, which involves financially contributing to this market and to the rules on the way it is organised”.
According to one European source, the question of free movement will, however, be on the table, without it being possible at this stage to say in what shape this will be. Switzerland, for example, has free trade agreements with the EU (that are, nonetheless, at risk, from the results of the 2014 referendum). Will the United Kingdom be requesting a special status without there being any free movement agreement? Another source explained that “It is up to the British to formulate their own specific demands”.
During the final press conference President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, also said that it was important to get the message across that “There will be no à la carte access to the internal market”.
In a reference to the fruitful debates among the EU27 on the future of the EU (see other article), the two European leaders also pointed out that there had been consensus on informing London that no negotiations would begin without the United Kingdom giving its formal notification of wishing to leave the EU. The President of the European Commission also recommended to the Directors General “not to wallow” in the discussions with the British leaders, whoever they are, whilst awaiting this formal notification.
With regard to the criticism and calls for his resignation after the vote to leave on 23 June, Jean-Claude Juncker, rejected any personal responsibility and denounced those that accused him of being involved in the debate on the Dutch referendum on the association agreement with Ukraine but for not being involved enough in the British debate, although both votes were defeats for the EU.
Donald Tusk rejected Jean-Claude Juncker having any political responsibility for the result and said that the accusations in this connection were “unfair”. He also said that the Commission does not have any political responsibility for the result and that it is “Our common responsibility”. The President of the European Council explained that Jean-Claude Juncker is indeed “The last person one could accuse of being responsible” for the vote on 23 June.
On Tuesday evening, several European sources proved more ready to condemn the “non-campaign” of David Cameron and for having not sold the agreement of 18 February to the British electorate, which set out the modalities of the United Kingdom's new relationship with the EU and consequently amended the principle of the Union becoming ever closer.
On Wednesday morning, the EU27 began discussing the causes of the defeat on 23 June. This reflection will continue in September during an informal meeting in Bratislava. The final declaration adopted on Wednesday would only point out that the EU would continue to work on its priorities such as growth, security and employment. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)