Michel Barnier, speaking in the European parliament yesterday, says a future trade deal (HERE) will contain a non regression clause which will commit us to maintain EU environmental standards after Brexit. The Telegraph is up in arms about it (HERE) although I'm not sure why. Gove promised that the UK would be a global leader in environmental standards so we should have no difficulty with that surely?
The government often seem to have problems with people taking what they say literally. The joint report in December set out the backstop of regulatory alignment in Ireland but the PM then objected when it was put into legal language, in case we had to do as we promised and actually live up to our own commitment.
In addition, a CETA style free trade deal like the one concluded with Canada, contains articles committing each side not to lower standards. Listen to paragraph (d) from the Joint Interpretive Instrument of the Canadian deal:
CETA will also not lower our respective standards and regulations related to food safety, product safety, consumer protection, health, environment or labour protection. Imported goods, service suppliers and investors must continue to respect domestic requirements, including rules and regulations.
This sounds pretty much like a non regression clause to me. David Davis has already said he wants a Canada plus plus plus deal but the ultra Brexiteers and the right wing press really want a Canada minus minus deal - at least in obligations.
I am sure the EU will not give way on environmental, food and labour protection matters and will try to ensure a level playing field and in practice this will mean we have to commit to keeping things much as they are at present. In which case one questions why we should leave - but when this was suggested on another blog this morning there was this laughable reply from someone with the moniker "LogicalArgumentsOnly":
"Of course there will be similarities in how we do things, but the decisions about how we do things will be made in Britain by people that were voted for in general elections and who live in this country, not by people who only have a mandate from the people for administering a common market".
In other words he is happy for the country to go through the upheaval of Brexit for perhaps a decade or more in order for things to carry on in exactly the same way!! Provided the decisions (exactly the same as made in Brussels remember) are made by people who "live in this country". A genuine 100% xenophobe! And he doesn't seem to see the irony in that people we voted for will not even be part of the decision making process! But we'll have to abide by the decision anyway!!!
