Sir, – The UK has not produced meaningful proposals for either an interim or a long-term EU-UK trade arrangement, and time is running out. It seems that each EU state will have a veto on any agreement, but the EU must be constructive.
The aim should be to minimise change, to maximise freedom of trade, and to suggest clear arrangements that can be adopted quickly. Something must also be proposed that will satisfy Leavers that something has changed.
The need for a solution that can be adopted without negotiations, and for which insufficient time is available, suggests using the only readily available precedent that would meet these requirements, the European Economic Area.
This would allow the UK to make trade agreements with other countries, and also to trade freely, as at present, with the EU. It would largely solve the problem of the Border with Northern Ireland.
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The EU should tell the UK that the EEA offers the only interim solution that can be available in time. Any adjustments necessary could be made later. There is enough time to adopt this, but only just enough. – Yours, etc,
JOHN TEMPLE LANG,
Dublin 4.