The European Union could consider Britain's accession to the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention (PEM), the new EU trade commissioner responsible for post-Brexit negotiations, Maroš Šefčovič, told the BBC. Against this background, Keir Starmer's government is seeking to restart relations with the bloc, reports News.bg.
Šefčovič noted that the UK's accession to the European duty-free trade zone is “something we could consider“.
The PEM allows duty-free trade of goods across Europe, as well as in some North African and Levantine countries. Some business groups have supported the island's accession to the PEM, as it would help maintain complex supply chains. However, the previous Conservative government chose not to pursue this as part of a post-Brexit trade deal.
Šefčovič said the idea was not yet “well-formulated” and that “the ball is in the UK’s court”. The British government has started consultations with businesses on the benefits of the PEM plan and how it could help cut red tape and improve trade.
Šefčovič said he would like to see the possibility of a full-scale veterinary agreement between the EU and the UK be reviewed.
If UK food and agricultural products were to be treated in the single market, he said it would mean “we would have to have the same rules and we would have to build on them at the same time, we call it dynamic alignment”. The lack of a post-Brexit veterinary agreement is a major obstacle for UK food businesses hoping to export to the island's closest neighbours.