[1andrew1]

Won't be easy for Sir Kier.

EU will demand early fish deal in UK reset talks

Requirement among red lines drawn up by Brussels ahead of 2025 negotiations

Brussels is drawing up tough red lines for its coming ‘reset’ negotiations with the UK — including demanding an early deal on fishing rights and repeating the “no cherry-picking” mantra — according to internal discussion documents.

UK ministers, including chancellor Rachel Reeves who will travel to Brussels on Monday, have said they are seeking a “very ambitious” reset of the UK’s security and trading arrangements with the EU when talks begin next year.

However a 19-page working paper setting out EU interests observed there were “limited” economic gains on offer as a result of the UK’s own red lines ruling out rejoining the EU’s single market or customs union, or accepting free movement of people.

“A significant further reduction of trade frictions with a close trading partner, such as the United Kingdom, would be in the interest of the European Union. This, however, would require a different model for co-operation,” it said.

The document circulated to EU members, and seen by the Financial Times, summarised the findings of several weeks of internal EU Commission seminars to discuss policy positions towards the UK on issues such as fishing rights, youth mobility, energy co-operation and trading arrangements.

The paper, prepared by Hungary as it holds the rotating presidency of the bloc, reiterated the “no cherry-picking” principles the European Commission set out in 2017 for dealing with the UK, and said they will remain “core guidance” in the upcoming talks.

It also warns that the UK must agree to a rapid deal on fish — as well as the full implementation of the existing EU-UK agreement including the Windsor framework on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland — if it wants deeper co-operation in other areas.

https://www.ft.com/content/327d7bd9-...a-68fe89b1c105