Q: What is the difference between signing a trade deal during the transition, and signing one afterwards? And, if you can sign one during the transition, won’t that be one of the fastest in history? And when can trade talks start?
Davis says the UK wants to get on with the talks on the future partnership as soon as possible. And there will be no trade deal like it, because the start from the same place.
He says an 18-month trade deal would not be the fastest in the world. Chile has done some more quickly.
This will be the “biggest, the most comprehensive, the most effective trade deal ever”, he says.
Barnier says, when the UK leaves the EU, it will leave 750 EU deals. There will be a lot of work for the UK to do.
As for when the trade talks with the UK will start, he says the EU will need a mandate.
He will be mandated to begin discussions on this, he says.
They have to talk trade. But it is not just trade. There are other areas – security, legal cooperation, partnership on security and defence.
And he says these will be “discussions”. He uses that word because formal negotiations cannot start until the UK has left the EU.
In the meantime they will be scoping an agreement for the future commercial relationship, from about April, he says.
Barnier says formal trade negotiations between EU and UK will not start until after Brexit, although discussions on “scoping” a deal will take place before. The press conference is now over.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
