Liam Fox’s hopes of securing a trade deal with the European Union before Brexit have been dealt a blow by a leading member of the European parliament, who insists no deal can be struck until the UK has left the bloc. Danuta Hübner, a former Polish minister who became the country’s first European commissioner, said it would not be possible for the UK to conclude a trade deal while still an EU member. A trade deal would be “challenging” to agree, she added, because it requires unanimity from all EU member states. The article 50 exit talks, which cover unwinding 43 years of the UK’s EU membership, require only majority agreement among other member states. Officially, the European parliament has no place at the negotiating table, but its consent is needed to seal the article 50 deal and any new status agreement with Brexit Britain.

Source: The Guardian November 01, 2016 16:34 UTC