The British government’s proposals for “a new customs arrangement that facilitates the freest and most frictionless trade possible in goods between the UK and the EU” was dashed by European minister.
The policy paper hoped for “a continued close association with the EU customs union for a time-limited period after the UK has left the EU” in Spring 2019. Aleš Chmelař, The Czech secretary of state for EU affairs, said he would not tolerate the UK signing new deals during the transition period.
“I do believe it is not possible to have the same advantages and less obligations in general,” he said. “This is a very clear thing, And it applies also with the custom union and any other deal that is somehow bound with it. So with any step in terms of market integration, market access, there is a set of obligations. This is very clear.”
A European commission spokesman said the EU was working on its own paper on “customs issues” before Brexit talks taking place at the end of August.
“We see the UK’s publication of a series of position papers as a positive step towards now really starting phase one of the negotiations. The clock is ticking and this will allow us to make progress,”
“We will now study the UK position paper on customs carefully in the light of the European council guidelines and the council’s negotiating directives,” he added.
“We take note of the UK’s request for an implementing period and its preferences as regards the future relationship, but we will only address them once we have made sufficient progress on the terms of the orderly withdrawal,”
“An agreement on a future relationship between the EU and the UK can only be finalised once the UK has become a third country.”
“As Michel Barnier has said on several occasions, ‘frictionless trade’ is not possible outside the single market and customs union.”