UK could rejoin EU under 'Switzerland plus' deal within months, MEP says
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's trade committee, says the EU misses the UK and a deeper relationship could be agreed quickly if Britain chose it.
At a glance
- Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's trade committee, said the UK could return to the EU through a 'Switzerland plus' deal.
- Switzerland's model offers single market access for free movement and about €375m a year, but no role in EU decisions.
- Lange backed Andy Burnham's call for the UK to be included in the EU's Made in Europe procurement legislation.
A senior German MEP has said the UK could re-enter the EU under a "Switzerland plus" arrangement that could be negotiated within months of any decision by Britain to deepen its ties with the bloc.
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's trade committee, who was heavily involved in the Brexit negotiations, said: "I would love to see the UK back." Speaking in London, he said the EU missed the UK in decision-making because of its strong history of promoting open markets and democracy.
What 'Switzerland plus' would mean
Switzerland is not an EU member, but it struck a framework deal last year cementing "frictionless access" to the single market across more than 100 agreements. That gives it access to the EU's electricity market, space programmes, Erasmus and the Digital Europe research programme, plus participation in the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In exchange, Switzerland agreed to the free movement of people and to pay €375m (£326m) a year into the EU's economic and cohesion funds.
Boris Johnson rejected a Swiss-style relationship when he was prime minister because it involved free movement and regulatory alignment, although it is often considered a halfway house to full membership.
Lange said the Swiss framework could be a model for the UK, but it was a "passive" agreement that would not involve the country in EU decision-making. "Switzerland plus, I would say, as that has some kinds of engagement but not the full membership," he said. He added that the choice of relationship was entirely "in the hands of the UK", but that a Switzerland plus deal could be achieved quickly despite political hiccups.
Made in Europe
Lange's schedule in London includes a meeting with the trade minister, Anas Sarwar, who is part of a team working on the UK's new position on EU relations.
He also backed Andy Burnham's call for the EU not to lock the UK out of its "Made in Europe" legislation, which would restrict UK suppliers from public procurement tenders and some corporate contracts such as car fleets.
French and German leaders were reportedly close on Thursday to agreeing a proposal that the UK could be included, provided it aligned with the EU's 2024 tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles.
This week the boss of Mercedes said the EU would be making a "deliberate choice" to harm the EU car industry if it did not allow the UK into the package. Burnham's position has backing from the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. France, which came up with the proposals, is opposed, saying the legislation must be passed urgently to guard against cheap competition from China and that allowing the UK and other allied countries in could hold up the lawmaking.
Lange said the UK should "of course" be included because it is already aligned with the EU on environmental standards and employment laws. He said France's position was "not rational" and "also so emotional", but could be born from a desire to be seen as putting France first before next April's presidential elections, in which Marine Le Pen, who is opposed to globalism, could take power.
Locking the UK out could also cause a legal dispute over the trade and cooperation agreement, which allows UK goods to be sold in the single market without barriers as long as they meet the bloc's standards.
The Made in Europe package, also known as the Industrial Accelerator Act, is expected to get political approval by the end of the year or early 2027. Lange said there could still be time after that, given the European Parliament's processes, with 5,100 amendments tabled, including one on UK inclusion.
Source: The Guardian.
Questions and answers
- What is a 'Switzerland plus' deal with the EU?
- It is based on Switzerland's framework agreement, which gives frictionless single market access in return for free movement and payments, plus some engagement in EU decision-making but not full membership, according to MEP Bernd Lange.
- Could the UK rejoin the EU?
- Bernd Lange said a 'Switzerland plus' agreement could be negotiated within months if the UK decides to deepen ties, but he said the choice is entirely in the UK's hands.
- Why does France oppose including the UK in Made in Europe?
- France, which came up with the proposals, says the legislation must be passed urgently to guard against cheap Chinese competition, and that allowing the UK and other allied countries in could hold up the lawmaking.
