Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said the cherry-picking line had been “a product of the strained relationship that followed the referendum, and the EU’s concern that other countries should not follow the U.K.’s example.”
“The truth is that where there is mutual interest in the two sides moving closer — as there is on [sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agri-food rules] and energy trading — the EU is happy for the British to pick a cherry.
“There will be other examples in the future of the U.K. de facto moving back into sectors of the single market, though it will have to accept dynamic alignment with EU rules in each of these areas.”
Paul Adamson, chair of the EU-UK Forum and a longtime Brexit watcher, added: “It might not seem obvious at the moment, but the summit may well have paved the way to embed a new ‘win-win’ approach to future talks.”
Next steps
The roadmap agreed at the summit spells out the issues where both sides want to move closer — and just how much closer. As well as improved electricity trading and a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement, the “common understanding” anticipates agreements on issues like fishing, carbon trading, law enforcement cooperation, and visas for young people.
While exploratory talks of varying intensity have already taken place across the different policy areas, formal legal negotiations can only take place once the European Commission secures a mandate on each topic from EU member countries on the Council.