EU chief urges Britain to seek ambitious trade deal
Strasbourg: The head of the European Commission said Tuesday that Brussels could accept a clean break with Britain but urged London to instead seek a highly ambitious free trade deal.
Addressing the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen noted that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government had said it was happy to trade with Europe under basic World Trade Organization terms.
But she warned that all trade agreements come with rules and that Europe would seek to defend its level playing field. “We still have our standards that have to be respected.”
Von der Leyen welcomed Johnson’s stated ambition to make Britain a “global champion of free trade.” But she warned: “I was a little bit surprised to hear the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom speak about the Australian model. - AFP