On Sunday 12 November, the EU's negotiator for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU, Michel Barnier, explained that the EU was making preparations for a 'no deal' situation with the United Kingdom, with a new round of talks ending on 10 November with no major breakthroughs (see EUROPE 11902).
“It is not my preferred option, which would be to go back 44 years. But it is a possibility. Everyone must plan for it, states and businesses alike. We are also making technical preparations for it”, Barnier told the French newspaper Journal du dimanche.
He reiterated that London had been given two weeks to provide the necessary guarantees ahead of the talks on the future partnership, particularly guarantees on budgetary commitments.
“The UK will leave the EU in 2019, two years before the end of the 2014-2020 budget. What was decided between 28 must now be resolved between 28. Otherwise, we will have to cut programmes by around 14%, the equivalent to the British contribution”, he explained. “Theresa May has undertaken to pay the contributions to 2019 in 2020, plus other commitments, but has not clarified which. We know what these commitments are”, he said, referring to the guarantees given to the European Investment Bank, the European Development Fund, aid to Turkey and Ukraine and the pensions of European civil servants. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)