Davis bids to seal transition in Brussels amid Brexiteer warnings

Davis bids to seal transition in Brussels amid Brexiteer warnings



David Davis and Michel Barnier today shook hands and declared they have made a 'decisive' step in sealing a Brexit transition deal.



The EU chief negotiator and Mr Davis announced the dramatic breakthrough at a press conference in Brussels.



Under the terms, the transition period will end in December 2020, while the UK has also given ground on free movement rights and fishing quota rules.



However, Britain will be free to negotiate and sign trade agreements after the formal exit date next March. Gibraltar was also explicitly included in the scope of the deal.



The hard-fought package is now set to be signed off by EU leaders at a summit later this week.



However, Mr Barnier stressed there are still difficult arguments about the Irish border to come. And there was an immediate backlash on some of the concessions, with Scottish fishing industry angry that EU quotas for using our waters will still apply.



Mr Barnier said: 'A decisive step remains a step. We are not at the end of the road and there is a lot of work still to be done on important subjects including Ireland and Northern Ireland.



'But this decisive step will be presented by me on Friday.'



Mr Davis said the settlement gave 'certainty' to businesses in the UK and the EU.



'The deal we struck today…should give us confidence that a deal good for the United Kingdom and the EU is closer than ever before,' he said.



The pound rose sharply against the US dollar and the euro as the apparent breakthrough was unveiled.



Theresa May hailed the agreement, saying it proved doubters wrong and showed that a good trade deal was possible.

Mr Barnier reiterated the importance of the 'backstop' on the Irish border that was agreed by Mrs May before Christmas.



That deal meant if no other solution could be found the UK would agree to align closely enough with EU rules to avoid a hard border.



The UK has angrily dismissed a legal text prepared by Brussels setting out the backstop arrangement, saying it would effectively rip up the UK. 





Outlining the deal today, Mr Barnier said: 'The UK will no longer participate in the European Union decision making processes, simply because after the 30 March 2019 it will no longer be a member state.



'The UK will preserve all the benefits and advantages of the single market, customs union and European policies, and will, therefore, be required to respect all the European rules just like member states.'



EU nationals arriving in the transition period will have the same rights as those arriving before, he added





Mr Davis said: 'The United Kingdom will be able to step out, sign and ratify new trade deals with old friends and new allies for the first time in more than 40 years.



'These will come into force when the implementation period ends, providing new opportunities for businesses across the UK and seizing one of Brexit's greatest opportunities.





We have agreed those international agreements arising from our EU membership continue to apply as they do now.



'Businesses can be confident there will be no disruption to existing trade relationships when we leave the EU.'



Mr Davis said the UK remained committed to the divorce deal agreed before Christmas, including the provisions on the Irish border.



In a victory for the British side, the scope of the transition explicitly includes Gibraltar.



There have been fears that Spain could try to use its veto over Brexit to reopen the issue of the Rock's sovereignty.



Mr Davis said: 'Yes it includes Gibraltar. That is our view of it.



'We are having negotiations, very constructive discussions with Spain. They will continue.'



Mr Barnier said Gibraltar would leave the EU at the same time as the UK, and said it was included in the 'territorial scope' of the legal text.



But he added that Spain had been granted a specific veto on the Gibraltar issue, and would still need to approve the terms.



Mrs May said: 'I think the message people can take from this is that prior to December people questioned whether we would get agreement then. We did. People questioned whether we would get agreement now. We have.