The UK has today released its negotiating mandate for post-Brexit trade talks with the EU. In response to this the Chief Minister has made the following statement;
‘The UK and the EU have now set out their opening positions for negotiations on their future relationship. As I have said previously, we have been working closely with colleagues in the UK to understand how they are preparing for these talks. The channels of communication that we have established are strong and so there are no surprises in the UK approach for us. It is important to remember this is the start of what may be a complex negotiation, but our voice is being heard and the levels of cooperation are high. We note that the Crown Dependencies are referenced in the opening section of the mandate, so our position remains open and flexible. Officers will continue to work with colleagues across HM Government as negotiations progress to ensure that UK negotiators understand our interests.’
The full text of the EU negotiating directives is available.
For further information on the EU agreement with Canada, the CETA, and the agreement with Japan, please refer to the linked documents.
