EU will strike post-Brexit trade deal ‘FOR SURE’, says bloc’s trade commissioner
THE European Union’s (EU) Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom has said that the bloc will reach a trade agreement with the UK after its divorce from Brussels.
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Ms Malmstrom told a conference in Copenhagen: "It's uncharted territory but I'm sure we will solve it. We will have a free trade agreement, that is for sure."
When asked again whether she was certain, Ms Malmstrom, said: "Of course".
The news will be warmly welcomed by Prime Minster Theresa May who is currently campaigning in a General Election contest which could add weight to her support.
Prime Minster Theresa May (left) with Jean-Claude Juncker
Mrs May had previously stated she could walk away from any negotiation if she thought the EU was trying to impose what she considered unfair trade tariffs.
She stated in the past that “no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal”.
That stance get a frosty reception from the Brussels apparatchiks who then retaliated that they would not be “intimidated” by threats.
The 48-year-old liberal has held the position of the EU’s trade commissioner since 2014 having previously been its Commissioner for Home Affairs for four years before that.
The news comes after it was expected that the Director General of the CBI Carolyn Fairbairn was expected to warn both the UK and the EU that disputes over any sort of settlement deal would risk risk jeopardising hundreds of billions worth of trade every year if they lead Brexit talks to collapse.
The EU's Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom
In a speech at Cambridge University later today she is expected to urge negotiators on both sides to focus instead on the mutual benefits of continued free trade as they begin talks that will lead to Britain’s departure from the European Union.
She is expected to state, in extracts of the speech: “In just two days’ time, Europe’s leaders will be meeting at the EU summit to agree a common response to the article 50 letter.
Prime Minister Theresa May outside Downing Strette
“In these discussions it’s vital that the economics cuts through the politics. So our message to European firms and policymakers is ‘keep on talking, keep on listening’.”