Britain and the EU are unlikely to change the Brexit deal significantly, despite issues

• The UK and the EU are still discussing how to implement post-Brexit arrangements.
• 56% of Britons said they would vote to rejoin the EU.
• UK-EU relations are far from either settled or stable.

According to a report, Britain and the European Union are unlikely to fundamentally change their underlying Brexit agreement, necessitating sector-specific agreements for financial services, fisheries, and energy to avoid further disruption.

The report, published on Tuesday by the academic body UK In a Changing Europe (UKICE), stated that, despite a significant economic hit from leaving the EU and falling support for Brexit among the British public, major changes in the UK-EU relationship were unlikely.

“Prospects of such a renegotiation are slim,” UKICE Director Anand Menon said.

According to ICE polling from December, 56% of Britons said they would vote to rejoin the EU, up from 45% in February, and largely consistent with other polls.

However, Britain‘s ruling Conservative Party is committed to Brexit, and the opposition Labour Party is keen to avoid any suggestion that it would seek to unravel the post-2016 deal.

Post-Brexit

The UK and the EU are still discussing how to implement post-Brexit arrangements that accommodate the largely open border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK and EU member state Ireland.

“The immediate challenge is resolving the issues surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol, but even if this is accomplished, other deadlines and decisions, such as data exchange, electric cars, and fish, loom,” the report stated.

UKICE said UK-EU relations were “far from either settled or stable” but neither side seemed likely to want to reassess the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) signed in December 2020 after more than four years of political argument.

“There appears to be little political space on either side of the Channel for a major reconsideration of the relationship or renegotiation of the TCA in the short term,” it said, citing a lack of trust, the domestic politics of the UK and the benefits of the current deal to EU exporters.

“Changes to the relationship are likely to be slow and incremental in the immediate future,” it said, adding science research, energy security and emissions trading might be areas where the current relationship could be deepened.

Also Read

Leo Varadkar admits mistakes with Brexit

Mr. Varadkar was elected prime minister for a second time. The protocol...