In their bid to frustrate the efforts being made by Theresa
May to strike a balanced deal in the Brexit negotiation, EU leaders are
perfecting plans to strip Britain of two key EU agencies in the weeks ahead,
and dismissed the PM’s request for early Brexit trade negotiations.
The loss of the London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA)
and European Banking Authority (EBA) became unavoidable because Britain voted
to leave the EU as both agencies are basically linked to the single market.
However, the swift manner in which the EU leaders moved immediately
after the triggering of Article 50 by the PM is perceived by the public as an
indication of the uncompromising stand being taken by Brussels.
Accordingly, a number of major cities within the union are
lining up to welcome both agencies and EU Council president Donald Tusk is
expected to unveil the selection
criteria within the next two weeks.
Record has it that EMA and EBA each employ about 1,000
people, many of them British, and provide a hub for businesses in the UK.
The EU’s chief negotiator has also expressed hopes that the two
agencies will know their new locations by June, although it was also made known
that the process may take longer time.
Cities such as Dublin, Frankfurt, Milan, Amsterdam, Paris
and Stockholm have all lined up to play host to the agencies which are
considered as among the EU’s crown jewels.
Moreover, it has been told how Britain has failed to convince
any of the remaining 27 member states that trade talks should get under way
early.
The failure to convince the 27 member states also endorsed
as diplomats have agreed with the European Commission’s decision to block any
talks about a future comprehensive trade deal until the UK accepts its £60bn
divorce bill and comes to a settlement on the rights of EU citizens.
Mrs May hoped hardline European council guidelines ruling
out a trade deal within two years would have been toned during consultation
with the member states.
Sources from Brussels are
claiming that Britain’s aggressive approach to the talks, including
threats of becoming a low-tax, low-regulation state unless it was given a good
deal, had backfired.
One Brussels insider told the Observer: “However realistic
the threats were - or not - they were noticed.
“The future prosperity of the single market was challenged.
That had an impact – it pushed people together.”
Still in that regard, another senior diplomat said any
initial sympathy with Britain had fallen away in many capitals, because of the Government’s
approach towards Brexit.
He said: “Of course, we want to protect trade with Britain,
but maintaining the single market, keeping trade flowing there, is the
priority, and so we will work through Michel Barnier.
“Britain used to be pragmatic. That doesn’t seem to be the
case anymore and we need to protect our interests.”
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