SCOTLAND’S Brexit minister has welcomed a recommendation by an influential Westminster committee for the UK to join the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) once it has left the EU.
Mike Russell highlighted on social media an interview with committee chairman Hilary Benn yesterday in which he spelt out the advantages of Efta membership, saying it reflected Scottish Government policy.
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“Essentially the same point as made by @ScotGov over last 18 months – short of full EU membership least worst formal option is membership of Single Market / Customs Union... MPs urge free trade area after Brexit – but committee is split,” tweeted the minister.
In its report published yesterday the Commons Brexit committee urged the UK Government to negotiate membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) or joining Efta after the UK leaves the European Union, the so-called “Norway option”.
However, UK Brexit secretary David Davis has previously ruled out both options, calling them “the worst of all outcomes”. He has also dismissed allowing Scotland to have a bespoke Brexit arrangement allowing it to remain in the EEA if the rest of the UK leaves.
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The cross-party committee, in its report on the future UK-EU relationship, recommended that if negotiations on a “deep and special partnership” proved unsuccessful, EEA/EFTA membership should remain an alternative.
As well as the recommendation, the committee also set 15 “key tests” for the Government’s final deal with the EU. The guidelines included preventing a hard border in Ireland, as required by the Good Friday Agreement, continued security co-operation and the continuation of the free flow of data between the UK and EU after Brexit.
Benn said the tests were based on previous pledges by Theresa May and the Brexit Secretary.
He said: “Our tests set a high bar but they are based on the Prime Minister’s vision for our future outside the EU and the statement by the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis MP, that any new deal would be at least as good as what we have now.
“It is vital that UK businesses are able to continue to trade freely and sell services into our largest market after we leave, without additional costs or burdens or a hard border in Northern Ireland, and that we maintain close co-operation on defence, security, data and information sharing and consumer safety.”
Benn added: “Should negotiations on a ‘deep and special partnership’ not prove successful, we consider that Efta/EEA membership remains an alternative which would have the advantage of continuity of access for UK services and could also be negotiated relatively quickly.”
The recommendation caused a split in the committee, with hard-line Tory Brexiteers led by Jacob Rees-Mogg voting against it being included.
Scottish Labour for the Single Market co-chair Ian Murray MP welcomed the report’s conclusions.
“This report shows just how misguided the Tories are by ruling out sensible options for Britain’s future relationship with the EU,” said Murray.
“While the only way to fully protect jobs and the economy is to remain in the EU, if we are to leave then the least-worst option is continued membership of the single market and the customs union.”
However, there are concerns whether the UK would be welcome to join Efta.
In a interview with The National last month Oslo academic Professor Christophe Hillion suggested the whole of the UK would not be welcome over fears it would try to negotiate opt-outs on rules.
However, Hillion believed there would be no such obstacle to an independent Scotland joining.
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