EU boss Donald Tusk offers ‘ambitious’ Brexit free trade deal but rejects Theresa May’s ‘pick n mix’ approach
The EU Council boss said he didn't want to put up barriers to trade between Britain and the EU after we leave, but that it would surely be more difficult for everyone when we are outside the bloc
DONALD Tusk has offered Britain an "ambitious" free trade agreement that will cover Britain's treasured services sector, he confirmed today.
But he turned the screw on Theresa May by rejecting her "pick n mix" approach to getting a unique trading relationship.
Unveiling the EU's six-page draft guidelines for a future trade relationship with Britain today, the EU Council boss said he wanted us to be as close as possible when we leave.
"We don't want to build a wall between the EU and Britain," he said this lunchtime, promising an agreement like Canada has with the bloc.
"We want to remain friends and partners after this - partners that are as close as possible".
He confirmed that the EU want us to continue to work together closely to fight terrorism and crime across Europe, team up on foreign and defence, and continue to work side-by-side on research projects and innovation.
But the EU ruled out us staying a part of some of the bloc's agencies - like the PM said she wanted to do in last Friday's speech.
Mr Tusk said he was "determined to avoid" grounding flights after Brexit - demanding talks start on extending airline agreements as soon as possible.
"I hope [the free trade agreement] will be ambitious and advanced," he said. "We will aim for one covering all sectors, and with zero tariffs on goods.
";Like other FTAs, it should also address services."
But the top Eurocrat also took a tough line, warning of "severe economic consequences" for the UK.
The dossier, which lays out the EU’s position on trade for the first time, actively encourages the prime minister to drop her red lines.
He also infuriated Brexiteers by demanding that we continue to let them have access to our fishing waters after we leave - Theresa May has insisted we will leave the penalising Common Fisheries agreement.
However, he also said there could be "no winners" on Brexit, and that any agreement would be the first one to "loosen economic ties instead of strengthening them".
Leaving, he insisted "will not make trade between the EU and the UK frictionless or smoother... it will make it more complicated and costly. This is the essence of Brexit".
He slapped down Mrs May for having a "pick n mix" approach to a trade deal.
We are not going to sacrifice these principles, it’s simply not in our interest," he insisted - and vowed that he would make sure that Brexit is NOT a success for us.
Luxembourg's PM, Xavier Bettel, insisted that despite the meagre deal on offer there is no attempt to “punish” Britain.
He said: When I listened to Theresa May’s speech last week I didn’t learn that much more than I knew before. At the moment it’s not clear exactly what they want.
“But to give the impression that the UK will be the big winner of Brexit, there will be no winner. Not them, not us.”
The documents released today are said to be deliberately vague to try and force Theresa May to reveal more of what she wants from leaving the EU.
The guidelines state that services will be restricted “to an extent consistent with the fact that the UK will become a third country”.
They warn: “The European Council has to take into account the repeatedly stated positions of the UK, which limit the depth of such a future partnership.
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But ex-Ukip boss Nigel Farage said the EU asking for fishing to be included a deal would be a total betrayal of the referendum.
He said: "Unless we take back full ownership and control of our waters, Brexit will have been betrayed.
"Our coastal fishing communities have this one last chance. Time for Mrs May to handbag Barnier and say we will take our waters back. This is the acid test of Brexit."
Today's guidelines came as MEPs published their separate proposals yesterday calling for a much closer Ukraine-style association agreement.
EU Parliament negotiator Guy Verhofstadt said: “In order to break the deadlock we now face, I believe it is important that the UK Government now seriously considers engaging with the European Parliament's proposal.
"I am convinced this will allow both the EU and the UK to unlock a lasting deep and special partnership for the future."