Brexit blog from Brussels

By Kathy Roussel, Head of AHDB Brussels Office, Exports

Life is full of new beginnings and the New Year is usually a good time to reflect on the past and decide to make some changes.

When it comes to Brexit, hopes of a fresh start quickly faded away in Brussels as it soon became clear that the deal negotiated with UK government would not be voted through.

In a last minute attempt to provide some reassurance to UK MPs, the EU sent a letter to the PM the day before the first vote on 15 January, restating their intention to work speedily on a trade agreement to ensure the Irish backstop will not need to be triggered, something they repeated consistently over the past months. The only new element to be found in their letter was the odd mention to their intention to publish the Withdrawal agreement and the political declaration “side by side” in the Official Journal, which can hardly be considered as a substantial concession.

No one in Brussels was surprised by the outcome of the UK parliament’s vote on 15 January. Actually, Juncker published an official statement very shortly after results were made available. In a nutshell, the key message was: while we regret this decision, it is now up to the UK to indicate future directions.

The same scenario repeated itself after the vote on the 29 January. EU observers watched the discussions at the House of Commons in disbelief as it was clear that none of them could be workable given the EU red lines. The minute the Prime Minister stopped talking, Donald Tusk’s spokesperson made it clear that “The backstop is part of the Withdrawal Agreement, and the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for re-negotiation."

As the clock is ticking, EU Member States are bracing for a no-deal scenario and stepping up preparations.