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UK must accept EU standards if it seeks full market access: Germa FM

Wednesday, 29 January 2020 3:18 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 29 January 2020 3:24 PM ]

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas attends a congress of Germany's social democratic SPD party in Berlin on December 8, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

Germany says post-Brexit trade negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom must be conducted in a way that won’t harm the bloc, stressing the UK must accept EU standards if it seeks full access to its single market.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote in a guest article in German weekly Die Zeit published on Wednesday that the EU will need to be "politically wise and fair" in the next stage of talks "in a way that wouldn’t harm the European Union."

He said the UK will have to accept EU standards if it wants to maintain full access to “the largest single market in the world.”

Maas stressed that issues such as consumer rights and environmental protection must not be neglected by a post-Brexit trade deal.

"Yes, we all want zero tariffs and zero trade barriers, but that also means zero dumping and zero unfair competition,” Maas wrote, adding, “Without similar standards to protect our workers, our consumers and the environment, there can be no full access to the largest single market in the world."

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Noting that there is not enough time to agree on a deal and that there is a long list of things to negotiate, Maas described the process as a "Herculean task."

Free trade, fair competition, visa-free travel, work and travel opportunities, university exchanges, protections against terrorism and organized crimes and management of international crises are among the issues the two sides need to negotiate, according to the German minister.

Acknowledging that "things haven't always been easy, especially since the Brexit referendum," Maas expressed his hope for a new partnership "as close as possible" between London and Brussels.

His remarks come as EU lawmakers are due to vote on Withdrawal Agreement later on Wednesday, paving the way for Britain to leave the bloc on Friday.

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The 751 MEPs will vote on the Withdrawal Agreement following debates and speeches.

The EU parliament's ratification of the deal is the last hurdle in the divorce proceedings and comes just two days before the UK exits the bloc at midnight on January 31.

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