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The incoming president of the European Council has said the EU stands ready to negotiate a trade deal once Brexit happens.<\/p>\nThe incoming president of the European Council has said the EU stands ready to negotiate a trade deal once Brexit happens.<\/p>\n
On a visit to Dublin, Charles Michel would not be drawn on whether it was realistic to anticipate an agreement being struck in the 11 months between the current exit date in January and the end of the transition period in December 2020.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will see, it is not my intention to predict,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The former Belgian prime minister expressed hope a deal could be achieved in matter of \u201cmonths\u201d, but suggested a lot depended on the outcome of the UK election.<\/p>\n
While the UK is set to leave in the EU at the end of January, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has yet to ratify the withdrawal agreement in parliament.<\/p>\n
Johnson is hoping to secure a majority in December\u2019s General Election in order to enable him to achieve that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what will happen in December, we will see what the situation will be in December after these British elections,\u201d said Mr Michel.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it will be very important for us to be ready and we are ready, I repeat, we are ready to negotiate, we are ready to be loyal in these negotiations, and we will be transparent and we also be very committed in order to promote the level playing field and in order to protect the single market and to try to find the best possible agreement for the future relationship \u2013 and I hope it will be possible in the next months to reach an agreement, I think it would be excellent for our common future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Michel was in Dublin for talks with Leo Varadkar.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day Leo Varadkar, attending the British Irish Council summit, said it would be \u201cdifficult but not impossible\u201d to reach an agreement on the future relationship in 11 months.<\/p>\n
At a joint press conference at Government Buildings with Mr Varadkar on Friday night, Mr Michel vowed to maintain the unity of the EU 27 as the bloc looks to potential trade talks with the UK in the new year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a difficult issue (Brexit), we will follow the results of the next elections in the UK but it is important to maintain this strong unity of the 27 countries and also I would like to reaffirm our support and co-operation with your country (Ireland) because we know that it\u2019s important to try to have an orderly Brexit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will keep a strong dialogue in order to try to take the right decisions on this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Michel would not be drawn when asked if the EU would contemplate further changes to the Withdrawal Agreement after the General Election.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur intention is really clear,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an agreed document, the Withdrawal Agreement. There was a strong position of the 27 countries and it\u2019s important to have the clarity, there is a choice and a decision at the British level to organize the new elections in December.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will look at the results, we will certainly respect the results of this election, but it is not my intention to predict what will happen in December.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Michel added: \u201cBut the most important message is we are ready, we are ready to co-operate with the UK, we are also ready to keep this unity but we are also ready to promote and defend the level playing field, which is very important for us for the future, to protect the integrity of the single market and I would like again to reaffirm our support and solidarity with this country (Ireland) because we know it\u2019s important to have this strong unity and I will work to try to guarantee this unity and, of course, I would like also to repeat that, in my opinion, it is important in the future to keep very close co-operation with the UK.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be very important in the different fields to work together with the UK \u2013 at the trade level, at the economic level, for our common security and also because we share the same values.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said he was confident Mr Michel could fill the shoes of his predecessor, Donald Tusk.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were very fortunate to have a really excellent president in President Tusk, but I am absolutely confident that incoming president Michel will fill his shoes and do as good a job as he did,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a particular role for the president of the European Council in seeing the Union as a club of 27, or 28, having particular regard to the interests of smaller members states.<\/p>\n
\u201cPresident Tusk did that very well and I know Charles Michel coming from Belgium, a small to medium-sized country, will understand those issues and that gives us great confidence that that sort of operating method will continue.\u201d<\/p>\n