18 Jun
2020

UK-EU negotiations on the future relationship

The UK and the EU held a high-level political summit on Monday 15 June, after which a joint statement was released in which the two parties “welcomed the constructive discussions on the future relationship that had taken place”, but agreed that “new momentum was required.” The EU also noted the UK's decision not to extend the current transition period, which ends in December. ABTA continues to emphasise to Government Ministers and officials that a pragmatic deal needs to be reached, which maintains the conditions that enabled travel to flourish between the UK and the EU. In particular, as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses need a deal to provide clarity on future arrangements and minimise disruption.

In mid-May, the UK negotiating team published its draft Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, in addition to a number of draft legal texts on social security coordination and aviation. We were pleased to note that areas such as reciprocal healthcare, and provisions for measures which would preserve the benefits of the Posted Workers Directive, along with a number of other measures that ABTA has been calling for, have been included in the UK texts. We continue to stress the importance of these issues, and other priorities for the sector, in our discussions with Ministers and officials both here in the UK and the EU.