EU’s secret plan for a No Deal Brexit mirrors Britain’s preparations – despite Brussels’ threats

SECRET EU plans for a no deal Brexit are “very similar” to Britain’s preparations that seek to make our departure as smooth as possible, an insider has told The Sun.

It blows apart its bluff and bluster threats of treating the UK like any other non-EU country if we leave without a deal – designed to bully Theresa May into accepting a soft Brexit.

A source in the European Commission said that in reality its contingency plans for a No Deal mirror Britain’s plans to smooth the divorce by continuing to recognise each other’s standards for a limited period and keeping the borders open to all but high-risk goods.

The plans have been kept secret in the hope Britain buckles to EU demands for a deal that keeps us closely aligned to Brussels rules – or reverses the Brexit decision altogether.

But the source said that if Britain leaves without a deal in March the EU will implement its real no deal contingency plans.

The insider told The Sun: “The EU Commission’s no deal plans are very similar to ours.

"The thinking is we’ll keep things as they are because the regulatory platform is the same.

“This will stay in place for a few months and then there’ll be a mad dash to get a new agreement in place.

“The EU doesn’t want 20 mile tailbacks as much as the UK doesn’t.”

The European Commission’s public no deal plans released earlier this summer said Britain will be a “third country” and all goods, medicines and plants entering the EU would be subject to customs and standards checks at the border.

Controls at borders would cause “significant delays” and transport to and from the UK would be “severely impacted,” it has warned.

Its plans include checks for “customs, sanitary and phytosanitary standards and verification of compliance with EU norms”.

And it said there would be “no specific arrangement in place” for British expats on the continent or EU citizens living in the UK.

In contrast, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab last week unveiled Britain’s no deal plans would seek to make our departure as smooth as possible by setting up new “technical options” would “minimise delays” at borders and digitally collect VAT.

Spot checks would be made on some incoming goods but most waved through.

Britain would also automatically recognise European standards on drugs and medical equipment to keep supply chains open.

And Mr Raab said it would be “inconceivable” for the UK not to allow EU citizens to stay under a no deal and said the Government would “move swiftly” to secure their status.

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