EU unveils initial draft of Brexit negotiating stance

The European Union has sent its 27 member states what Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier says is an "ambitious" draft document setting out its proposals for future trade relations between the bloc and the United Kingdom.

Having left the union at the end of January, the UK is in an 11-month transition period during which it aims to formalize terms for the future interactions between the two sides, or else at the end of the year there is the risk of a so-called no-deal Brexit, which is widely predicted to have chaotic consequences.

Preliminary talks have already taken place but the next round of face-to-face discussions has been cancelled because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

"We've sent a draft agreement on new partnership to EP (European Parliament) and Council for discussion," Barnier tweeted. "It shows ambitious& comprehensive future relationship is possible. We must give ourselves every chance of success. We will publish the text after our exchanges& look forward to working with UK."

The document, entitled New Partnership between the European Union and the United Kingdom, will be presented to the UK government this week, but has been seen by the BBC.

Although it is incomplete, topics covered include a joint partnership council with 16 subcommittees, a plan for annual negotiations over fishing rights, and a program to cooperate on data exchange and extradition rules, provided the UK continues to implement the European Convention on Human Rights.

There is a psychological race to be seen to be the first to put something into the public spotlight, but this is balanced by caution from some on the European side who would like to see Britain's offering first, which is largely expected to be a straight-forward deal, with no guarantee of EU regulatory alignment.

"Publishing the draft is not usual practice at this stage. It will only show that the EU and UK are on different tracks," Irish state broadcaster RTE quoted one European diplomat as saying. "Barnier thinks it will show advantage but it doesn't. It will show that what we have is fundamentally different than what they have. If we do, doing so before the UK is especially not wise."

In July 2017, when he was foreign secretary, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons: "There is no plan for no deal, because we're going to get a great deal," but his government is now talking about potentially walking away from the negotiation process if a deal does not seem likely.

This would have devastating implications for countless businesses and employees on both sides of the English Channel, hence the game of poker that the sides are playing.