Britain demanding ‘a lot more from EU’ than Canada, Japan or others – Barnier

The UK is seeking a trade relationship with the European Union that is very close to that of an EU member, the bloc’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Wednesday. This is something that is unacceptable to the EU, he added.

“Britain is demanding a lot more from the EU than Canada, Japan or other partners,” Barnier told a forum in Brussels. “We cannot and we will not allow this cherry picking,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, the UK and Japan agreed to start negotiations for a swift deal on an economic partnership to secure business continuity for both nations, the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said on Tuesday.

After decades of the EU’s common trade policy, Britain has embarked on negotiating free-trade deals with other countries, and last month launched formal talks with the United States.