Keir Starmer’s bid to deepen trading ties with the European Union has been lambasted after the EU Commission itself named a set of 10 major Single Market barriers. Last week, the Prime Minister hailed a new agreement with the European Union which he vowed would give the UK “unprecedented access to the EU market – the best of any country outside the EU or EFTA”.
Sir Keir also said the agreement will “boost British exporters because, once again after a long absence, we’ll be able to sell great British burgers, shellfish and other products into the EU”.
Only a couple of days later the EU Commission, the bloc’s executive body, published a document addressing questions and answers on the single market, identifying a series of issues with the common market, as reported by pro-Brexit site Facts4EU.
A section from “Questions and Answers on the Single Market Strategy”, shared by the commission on May 21, reads:
“The Commission has identified a set of ‘Terrible Ten’ Single Market barriers on the basis of comprehensive consultations of stakeholders”.
The issues they identified include:
- Complicated business establishment and operations
- Overly complex EU rules
- Lack of Single Market ownership by Member States
- [Lack of] Recognition of professional qualifications
- Long delays in standard-setting that weigh on innovation and competitiveness
- Fragmented rules on packaging, labelling and waste
- Outdated harmonised product rules and lack of product compliance
- Restrictive and diverging national services regulation
- Burdensome procedures for temporary posting of workers
- Territorial supply constraints
As the UK government looks to boost Britain’s ailing post-Brexit economy, Sir Keir’s agreement with European leaders promised to “slash red tape” and “open up access to the EU market”.
But Facts4EU claimed the commission’s surprisingly scathing assessment of the single market represents a “total repudiation of any excuse for Sir Keir Starmer’s strategy to ‘align more closely’ with the EU to improve trade and prosperity for the United Kingdom”.
The outlet also said the “bombshell….effectively ridiculed the whole purpose of his Summit in the first place”.
However, the government has made clear its deal with the EU “meets the red lines set out in the government’s manifesto – no return to the single market, no return to the customs union, and no return to freedom of movement”.
The Department for Business and Trade has been approached for comment via email.
