'EVERYTHING is off the table!' German MEP warns Brexit trade talks could be DITCHED
SENIOR German MEP Manfred Weber revealed the European Union could be ready to say “everything is off the table” and block future trade negotiations in response to David Davis' Brexit comments.
EU bosses were left furious after the Brexit Secretary claimed the so-called breakthrough deal is not legally binding.
Mr Davis insisted that Britain could easily refuse to hand over the agreed £39bn divorce bill if a trade deal with Brussels was not secured by the date of departure.
Discussing the agreement, which included answers on Irish border, divorce bill and EU citizens’ rights, Mr Davis said: “This was a statement of intent more than anything else.
“Much more a statement of intent than it was a legally enforceable thing.”
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If David Davis would accept this, then it for us is also not a legally binding agreement
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Weber, chairman of the European People’s Party, the European Parliament’s largest group, hit back by insisting Brussels could easily refuse trade talks despite the apparent agreement.
The German MEP said: “If he would accept this, then it for us is also not a legally binding agreement and then everything again is off the table.
“Does this make sense? It’s a progress in the relationship in the final idea to find an agreement.
“If we take all of which is already agreed into question immediately after it is agreed then please come back to reasonable behaviour.
“We’re sitting together, we’re finding compromise – we have no a compromise on the table – please let’s respect this outcome.”
It now appears the UK has bowed to pressure from the angered European Union bosses, agreeing that Phase 1 of the Brexit deal will be put into law.
In an extraordinary U-turn, Mr Davis confirmed he had spoken to Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s self-appointed Brexit negotiator, after the former Belgian prime minister branded the Brexit Secretary’s comments “unacceptable”.
Mr Verhofstadt said: “As someone said, it’s an own goal.
“It is clear that the European Council will be more strict now. It is saying: ‘Yeah, ok, these are our intentions, our commitments, we want these commitments translated into legal text before we make progress in the second stage.’ That is now the position of the Council.
“I have seen a hardening of the position of the Council and there will be a hardening of position of the Parliament.”
Mr Davis agreed to work together with Mr Verhofstadt to agree that they will convert the joint report into legal text.
