Bratislava, 11/07/2016 (Agence Europe) London is going to do everything possible to ensure that the United Kingdom remains in the single market of the European Union at the end of the negotiations on the conditions governing the British exit from the European project. It is in these terms that the Deputy Mayor of London, Jennette Arnold, expressed the wishes of the British capital on Friday 8 July, during the Committee of the Regions' (CoR) adoption of a statement on the results of the British referendum.
The British representative said that this point is crucial in order to safeguard jobs and growth. In this connection, she provided assurances that the new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, would do all he could to get his voice heard in the negotiations, once Article 50 is triggered by the future British government. The next prime minister will have to work hand-in-hand with the mayor, if he wants to maintain the attractiveness of the British capital on the international scene, she warned.
Access to the internal market, however, should not be seen as a done deal. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, repeated this fact the day after the result of the referendum, stating, “out is out” (EUROPE 11578). This position is supported by the member states, which consider that the four internal market freedoms are not negotiable (EUROPE 11583). It was also repeated by the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz (EUROPE 11580).
Sefcovic's warning. Access may prove a challenge to the future British Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Commissioner for Energy, Maros Sefcovic, attended the launch of the 7th Summit of the Cities and Regions (see other article) and also pointed out the case involving Norway. The Scandinavian country is often cited as an example for redefining the EU's relations with the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, Oslo is currently paying more per capita than the United Kingdom for accessing the Union's internal market. Consequently, if a similar partnership were concluded, the entry cost to the European Union single market would be infinitely more expensive for the United Kingdom.
Scottish point of view. Tony Buchanan from Scotland (SNP) is an adviser for East Renfrewshire and one of the four members of the CoR (two full members and two substitutes). He believes that one of the first consequences of the British referendum vote will be the organisation of a new referendum on Scottish independence, he informed us. This will be for two reasons: firstly, the victory of the vote to remain in the United Kingdom was partly acquired because of the promise made by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, not to leave the Union and secondly, due to the changing dynamic in the Union, which would now be more inclined to swiftly accept Scotland as a member. He pointed out that the situation of Catalonia and Scotland is not at all the same, given that the United Kingdom is not a nation but an association of four nations. Criticising the attitude of the United Kingdom, he said that Scotland is legally recognised as a nation and always has been.
Overall, the CoR appears to be adopting a more flexible position than the other European institutions when it comes to looking at the outline of diplomatic relations between the EU27 and the United Kingdom, explained one observer. The British members remain full members of the CoR, in contrast to what has happened at the European Council, where the British Prime Minister has been prevented from attending since the day after the result of the referendum (EUROPE 11583). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)