UK warns EU's 'dogmatic' approach to Brexit risks lives

LONDON: British Brexit Minister David Davis accused the EU on Wednesday of risking the security of European citizens by taking a "dogmatic" approach to security cooperation after Britain leaves the bloc.

Davis said the new partnership Britain was seeking with the bloc, covering everything from intelligence sharing to cross-border arrest warrants, was "unconditional".

"Any move by others to place conditions on our offer will only serve to put the safety of everybody's citizens at risk," he said in a speech to European diplomats, ministers and journalists in central London.

Davis highlighted efforts by the European Commission to block access to the EU's Galileo satellite project to British businesses, citing issues about sharing sensitive data with a non-EU country.

"This is happening, despite the fact that excluding UK industry would delay the project by up to three years -- and cost the programme an extra billion euros," he said.

"Put simply, the commission's position seems to be shooting itself in the foot just to prove that the gun works."

He said a similar approach to the new European defence fund "risks damaging potential cooperation in the longer term".

"On all of these, unhelpful precedents and assumptions on how third countries should cooperate with the EU is hindering projects that help the entire continent," he said.

"Dogmatic responses based on what has happened before don't help anyone."

Davis said the new relationship between Britain and the EU would be like any other because their data sharing systems and operational processes would already be aligned.

He also talked about Britain's desire for a bespoke trade deal with Brussels after Brexit, saying it should reflect the "deep economic ties" between the two sides.

As the negotiations reach a crucial phase, ahead of a deal hoped for by October, Davis said the biggest risk was a "lack of ambition".

"The primary risk in these negotiations is actually now one of accident, that due to a lack of ambition -- by resting on third country precedents -- we miscalculate somehow," he said.

"And the cost of this miscalculation is a deal that is unacceptable to both sides."