MNI EXCLUSIVE: EU May Be Flexible With UK, Expects Little Soon

--EU Could Accept Level Playing Field Divergence

--Brussels Expects Little From Monday Meeting With UK's Johnson

By David Thomas

     BRUSSELS(MNI) - The European Union is willing to accept UK standards might

diverge after what it still hopes will be a free trade deal before the end of

this year's Brexit transition period, and is prepared to step up meetings over

the summer, but officials in Brussels told MNI they expect nothing substantive

from Monday's meeting between the British prime minister and EU leaders.

     "We will have longer meetings, more meetings and also physical meetings in

Brussels and London - where possible," an official said ahead of the video call

between Boris Johnson, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and

other EU leaders.

     The EU side is willing to be pragmatic on level playing field issues and

accept that UK and EU standards will be subject to evolution, the official said.

This will allow for several more negotiation rounds in late June, July and

August as well as meetings on a weekly basis between EU chief negotiator Michel

Barnier and UK counterpart David Frost.

     "It's like the situation with Covid now -- we restrain rules on state aid.

Or in the financial crisis we restrained the rules on banks to avoid the doom

loop."

     "We need to accept that we have comparable standards and as time goes on we

evolve, but things should go in the right direction," an official said.

     "We need to get away from the symbolism and get to the substance. And find

a way of phrasing all this that won't offend UK ideas of sovereignty."

     Asked if the outline of an eventual 'landing zone' for agreement between

the UK and EU could be imagined, one source replied positively, while declining

to say what it might be.

     --SIGNALLING

     But Brussels officials are hoping for little on Monday beyond signalling.

     "It will be a non-event. All we can expect is that there is some positive

noise and that they will commit to working al summer," one source close to the

talks said.

     The comments follow the official confirmation from the UK on Friday that it

would not pursue any extension to the talks on a future EU-UK partnership.

     Officials indicated that they have not been impressed by a UK announcement

that it would not impose checks on imports from the EU after the end of the

year, and that the EU is not in a position to reciprocate.

     "We always thought that the UK border checks would never be ready."

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

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