Britain could be fast tracked back into the EU
Britain could be fast tracked back into the EU in the space of a single parliament, according to a new report backed by senior figures including a leading member of the European parliament, reports BritPanorama.
The report, titled ‘How the UK joins the EU, and how long it would take’, released by the pro-Europe campaign group Best for Britain, cites Finland as a successful example, having joined the EU in less than three years in the mid-1990s. It suggests that a quick process is feasible if there is already a high degree of alignment between the UK and the EU.
However, researchers emphasized the necessity of “strong political will” on both sides. This remark follows comments by Andy Burnham, who has left the door open to the UK rejoining the EU.
At Labour’s annual conference last month, Prime Minister Burnham stated he would explore options to bring Britain closer to the EU, hinting that re-entry might be part of Labour’s next election manifesto. His announcement received positive feedback from several EU leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
In addition, polling expert Sir John Curtice recently indicated that support for rejoining the EU stands at its highest since the Brexit vote, with 61 percent of the populace in favor, as part of The Independent’s campaign, Europe: The Way Back.
Rejoining the EU would entail a series of negotiations, with any agreement requiring unanimous approval from existing EU members and subsequent ratification in national parliaments.
The report posits that Finland’s example demonstrates a quicker process where existing alignment and political will are present. In contrast, the UK’s trade negotiations with India took over three years, highlighting the complexities of such agreements.
Despite potential obstacles, such as the UK’s possible membership in the euro and the Schengen area, these could be addressed, as evidenced by countries like Sweden and Denmark that do not use the euro.
Oliver Nicholls, a former UK trade department official and lead author of the report, suggested, “No country has ever walked this path as a former member, already closely aligned and sharing the EU’s values… with the political will, Britain could be back at the table within a single parliament.”
Support for this assertion came from MEP Sandro Gozi, who leads the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly. He stated that given the existing regulatory framework, he sees no serious reason why a UK application for re-accession would not be achievable in a single parliament.
Sir Jonathan Faull, a former senior EU Commission official, welcomed the findings, describing the report as a “sober and useful contribution” to the ongoing Brexit discussion. He noted that the UK would enter any re-accession talks with a unique perspective due to its historical membership, emphasizing that the timeline would largely hinge on the political will of both sides.
The discussions on Britain’s potential re-engagement with the EU continue to evolve, reflecting the ongoing complexities surrounding post-Brexit relations.
