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Leo Varadkar has warned that if the UK fails to keep to EU standards, its access to the European market could be threatened.<\/p>\nLeo Varadkar has warned that if the UK fails to keep to EU standards, its access to the European market could be threatened.<\/p>\n
The T\u00e1naiste said that while the UK has the power to deviate from EU regulations, they have to \u201clargely\u201d follow European rules where it is relevant.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar also said that the UK\u2019s access to the European market is \u201cnot unconditional\u201d, as laid out in the 1,246-page treaty.<\/p>\n
He said the post-Brexit trade deal means British businesses do not have to pay tariffs or quotas.<\/p>\n
The T\u00e1naiste told Newstalk: \u201cIt does still give them access to the European single market, a market of 400 million people, the biggest and wealthiest market in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t have to pay tariffs or quotas either which is advantageous to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s not unconditional. So what they have agreed to is what we call a level playing field.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have agreed to a non-regression clause in all but name, so we said you can only have access to the market if you don\u2019t reduce your standards when it comes to workers\u2019 rights, the environment, health and safety, product standards \u2013 all of those things.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they do reduce their standards or don\u2019t keep with our standards then that access to our market could be threatened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have to largely follow European rules where they are relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said that the UK has the sovereignty and power to deviate from EU rules and regulations.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cBut if they do deviate too much then they lose access to the market and the truth is the lunar pull isn\u2019t a bad analogy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t get away from the obvious geography that Britain is in Europe, geographically, and if Europe is the Earth then Britain, which is much smaller, is the moon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no way to take Britain out of Europe, you can take Britain out of the EU, but not Europe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality is when you are surrounded by a massive market on all sides you are always going to have to be cognizant of the fact that that market has rules and regulations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere won\u2019t be tariffs or quotas but what there will be is customs procedures so there will be a lot of new bureaucracy for businesses unfortunately, filling in customs declarations and also there will be checks on ports and airports, so costs and delays unfortunately for businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it could have been a much worse situation if we ended up with tariffs and quotas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said that very little will change around travel rules for Irish citizens.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey still will be able to travel freely to Britain and live, work and study there,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther Europeans won\u2019t but that\u2019s a special arrangement that we have because of the Irish protocol and common travel area.\u201d<\/p>\n