In recent days, the European Commission has once again assured that it is on “break” from ‘Brexit’, the negotiations on the United Kingdom's exit from the EU, but nevertheless reviewed, on Wednesday 12 June, its arsenal of measures in order to prepare for a scenario in which the United Kingdom leaves the EU without agreement and concluded that they were, so far, all “appropriate” for this negative scenario.
“We assessed the preparatory measures in advance of the June European Summit. We have concluded that there is no need to amend them in substance and that they remain appropriate”, explained Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, who is responsible for Economy and Finance.
In its Communication, the Commission notes in particular that, in view of “the continuing uncertainty in the United Kingdom regarding the ratification of the withdrawal agreement - agreed with the UK Government in November 2018 - and the overall political situation in the country, a withdrawal without agreement by 1 November 2019 remains a possible, although undesirable, outcome”. However, the Commission considers that no further measures should be taken and therefore reiterates what to expect in the event of ‘no deal’.
It also reminds the United Kingdom and its possible future Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, of the country's commitments: in the absence of an agreement, the United Kingdom will have to resolve three main issues related to separation as a precondition for opening discussions on future relations, namely: the protection and defence of the rights of citizens who exercised their right to free movement before Brexit, compliance with the financial obligations undertaken by the United Kingdom as a Member State - although Boris Johnson has recently challenged them - and, finally, the preservation of the spirit and the letter of the Good Friday Agreement concerning peace on the island of Ireland and the integrity of the interior market, the Commission wrote in a communiqué.
For the institution, the most sensitive sectors in the event of a ‘no deal’ will be those related to citizens and social security, medicines and medical devices, customs, transport, fisheries and financial services. Link to the communication: https://bit.ly/2IARaFo (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)