WTO rules mean UK-EU divorce and new trade arrangement are not fully separable

Whether a transitional arrangement is a possible way of bridging the gap between the UK’s formal exit from the EU and the entry into force of a new, comprehensive trade deal with the EU-27 is increasingly discussed as a potential option for the upcoming Brexit negotiations. Open Europe’s Vincenzo Scarpetta notes that WTO rules would help to ensure that any transition was not open-ended or a bridge to nowhere.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Forget Brussels, Brexit’s toughest battleground is the WTO http://www.europeansources.info/record/forget-brussels-brexits-toughest-battleground-is-the-wto/

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

The Guardian, 01.11.16: Liam Fox's attempt to secure pre-Brexit deal with EU suffers setback https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/01/liam-fox-pre-brexit-deal-setback-european-union

Blog: Politics.co.uk, 06.12.16: Very quietly, Liam Fox admits the Brexit lie http://politics.co.uk/blogs/2016/12/06/very-quietly-liam-fox-admits-the-brexit-lie

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