Michel Barnier, the EU's former chief Brexit negotiator, has stated that the United Kingdom could rejoin the European Union on a “short” timeline due to the remaining alignment on regulations. Speaking at the UK in a Changing Europe Brexit anniversary conference in London, Barnier also floated the idea of a new European security and defence council that would allow formal cooperation with non-EU European countries such as the UK and Norway.
Re-entry timeline and conditions
Barnier declined to specify a precise timeline for potential re-entry but said, “It could be short.” He predicted that the UK government would take much longer to decide to rejoin than the actual process of re-entry would require. However, he reiterated that there would be “no cherrypicking” for the UK, emphasizing the indivisibility of the four freedoms of the single market: free movement of labour, capital, services, and goods. “We will take no risk about this,” he added.
European security and defence council
Barnier also promoted the creation of a European Council for Security and Defence, designed to work alongside existing EU institutions. This body would be open to key non-EU countries, including the UK, Norway, and Ukraine, to enhance cooperation on security matters. “It is so important to be together, not to be a subcontractor to China or the US,” Barnier said, stressing the need for European economic security. He described the proposed council as being “in the spirit of the coalition of the willing, working well and working efficiently to support Ukraine with British government and many others.”
No shortcuts on single market rules
Despite the potential for a swift re-entry, Barnier made clear that the UK would have to accept all four single market freedoms without exception. “There will be no indivisibility of the four freedoms,” he stated. This position aligns with the EU's longstanding stance that non-members cannot selectively participate in the single market.
