George Eustice hits out at Brussels on 'denial over independence' as Brexit talks sour
BREXIT negotiations would have proceeded in a less sour atmosphere had the European Union accepted UK proposals to follow pre-existing trade deal models, according to Agriculture Secretary George Eustice.
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Brexit trade talks have hiccuped ahead as both the UK and the European Union have stuck with their mandates and refused to overly budge to make concessions. Agriculture Secretary George Eustice suggested Brussels's struggles with the concept of "independence" had deeply affected the negotiations as the UK had initially proposed a quick way to ensure a trade deal was agreed. Mr Eustice made the comments as he was questioned over the impact a no deal scenario would have on Britain.
Speaking to the BBC Today programme, the Tory frontbencher said: "It will be a good outcome in that we will have regained our independence as a country and we'll be making our own laws again.
"There's no reason whatsoever why we could not have got an agreement similar to Canada.
"We've gone into these negotiations asking for something that's very realistic and reasonable, something the EU's already offered Canada.
"We said that we think it should be the model to follow, accepting that would mean checks at the border, additional paperwork, additional administration and so on."
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Mr Eustice added: "That's an agreement the EU could have done but I think, because they are in denial about what it means to be an independent country, they've been reluctant to do it to date.
"But they still got time to do it."
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) the EU struck with Canada in 2017 eliminates most tariffs on goods traded between member states and Canada.
The British Government has long backed plans to roll over a similar agreement at the end of the transition period but Brussels rejected the proposals by virtue of the different trading relationship the bloc shares with the UK.
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And Mr Eustice has also minimised speculation about an expected change to the Brexit Withdrawal Bill set to be announced this Wednesday.
According to the Financial Times, the Government will announce modifications to the Northern Ireland protocol currently outlining a new series of custom checks to be adopted at the end of the transition period.
But the Tory frontbencher insisted the changes will be minor and only based on "technicalities."
He said: "The Prime Minister has been clear, we're not after anything exceptional or special really.
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"We understand the EU's position on these things but we do think an agreement along the lines of the agreement the EU has with Canada, a fairly standard but quite ambitious free trade agreement, is something worth doing and we stand ready to do that.
"You will have noticed the European Union have been reluctant to engage on that basis and appear to be somewhat in denial about the fact that we do genuinely want to be an independent country so those negotiations have not been easy."
But the suggestion of amendments sparked the fury of EU officials, with Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney suggesting it would be "very unwise" for the UK to go ahead with the changes.