The Welsh Government must continue to call on the UK Government to ensure that preferential market access, free from both tariff and tariff-free barriers, is prioritised in the forthcoming negotiations on the UK’s future relationship with the European Union (EU), an Assembly Committee has said.
The External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee is concerned about the potential adverse economic consequences for Wales if tariff and barrier-free market access is not secured in Britain’s post Brexit relationship with the EU. During the course of its inquiry the committee was told that frictionless trade and the avoidance of tariff and non-tariff barriers were a priority for many industries in Wales.
The committee of Assembly Members said it was not persuaded of the value of regulatory divergence after Brexit.
The evidence received during its inquiry overwhelmingly prioritises the maintenance of equivalent regulatory standards to ensure preferential market access over regulatory divergence after Brexit in a wide range of sectors including health, automotive, farming, and food.
Chair of the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee, David Rees AM, said: “The detail around Wales’ future links with the EU is still very much up for debate and we should take every opportunity available to us to shape that future relationship in a way that reflects the needs and interests of the people of Wales.
“Our report isn’t a shopping list of what should be in and out of that future agreement.
“It represents the concerns that we, and many of our stakeholders, have about the implications for Wales should these issues not be reflected in that post Brexit relationship with the EU.”
It’s hard to trust Assembly members who have failed us so many times in the past.
Oh they do love the EU down at the Cardiff Assembly, The people of Wales voted out, out of the single market, out of the customs union. All countries have access to the single market, most pay tariffs.
My ideal would be a tariff free agreement with the EU. If the unelected EU commissioners do not grant this then the UK can impose tariffs on goods of EU origin. I would bet my house that Wales imports far more from EU countries than we sell to them. The ball is in the EU court, I’m sure Britain is willing to strike a deal, I am not so sure Barnier and co are of the same mind.
I can’t see the EU surviving long once we have left in any case. It, all its commissioners and other drones will be just history.