Democracy Impacts

UK Official Questions Wisdom of Post-Brexit Transition

February 05, 2018

Bloomberg reports that UK Trade Secretary Liam Fox has indicated his concerns with the negotiation of a post-Brexit transition period in which Britain would remain subject to EU rules, asserting that such a prolongation of the UK's status as an effective EU member would stymie its negotiation of trade deals with other countries.
EC Suggests Penalties for Pro-Business Policies in UK

February 05, 2018

Reuters reports that, in a briefing document distributed to diplomats of EU member states, the European Commission (EC) suggested that any post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal contain provisions providing for sanctions if the UK cuts labor and environmental regulations or lowers its corporate tax rates to gain a competitive advantage over the EU.
EC Issues Guidelines for Funding of Migrant Integration

February 05, 2018

The European Commission (EC) has launched a toolkit guiding EU member states on what measures they should take to access funds from the supranational organization to help integrate "people with a migrant background" into their societies.
Austrian Leader Opposes EU Migration Quota Scheme

February 01, 2018

Deutsche Welle reports that Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has signaled his backing of the Visegrad Group of Central and Eastern European countries in the EU on migration policy by warning that the EU's migrant distribution scheme "isn't working" and that the bloc should focus on reducing illegal immigration.
Ministers: UK Must Follow EU Rules During Transition

January 31, 2018

NPR reports that the EU ministers have approved instructions for the European Commission's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier demanding that, during any post-Brexit "transition" period, the UK continue to follow current and new EU laws, without having any vote in the EU institutions, and remain within the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU.
UK Official Seeks Dispute System During Brexit Transition

January 30, 2018

Politico reports that, in a recent speech, UK Brexit Secretary David Davis called for the establishment of a dispute mechanism that would permit the British government to complain about new EU rules that "undermine" the UK's economic system during a post-Brexit transition period during which Britain would otherwise have no say over the making of EU law.
Commentator Points to EU as Growing Issue in Elections

January 30, 2018

Enea Desideri of the British think tank Open Europe praises the increasingly prominent discussion on continued centralization within the EU in national elections throughout the bloc but expresses concern that "identity politics" - characterizing the debates as between EU "supporters" and EU "opponents" - ignores the nuance needed to decide the future direction of the EU project.
Visegrad Leaders Push for Narrowed EU Focus

January 30, 2018

AP reports that, at a recent meeting, leaders of the countries in the Central and Eastern European Visegrad Group voiced their support of EU focus on infrastructure, defense, technology, and employment rather than moving toward a "United States of Europe" that centralizes decision-making on matters such as migration within supranational institutions.
UK Officials Preview "Enhanced Equivalence" Deal with EU

January 30, 2018

Bloomberg reports that both the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond and Brexit Secretary David Davis have predicted that their government will strike a Brexit deal with the EU creating an "enhanced equivalence regime" under which the country will remain close to EU financial and other rules for the indefinite future.
Shankar: UK Must Stay out of Customs Union with EU

January 30, 2018

Aarti Shankar of the UK think tank Open Europe has countered the assertion by the Confederation of British Industry that Britain must form a comprehensive new customs union with the EU after Brexit, warning that doing so means the UK would have to accept EU common market rules and trade deals with new markets without having a say in their creation.