Brussels will demand Labour surrender fishing rights and follow EU laws for the first time since Brexit, it was reported last night.
European leaders are said to want to make a new trade deal with Sir Keir Starmer dependent on Britain accepting European Court of Justice jurisdiction.
It would be the first time since Brexit in January 2020 that the UK has had to follow EU law as part of its trading relationship with the bloc. The hardline stance is set out in a document seen by The Times that will be presented to a council of European ministers next week.
It makes clear Brussels will demand key concessions on fishing, the European Court of Justice and youth mobility. Current fishing arrangements are seen by the National Federation of Fishermens Organisations as a neo-colonial relationship with the EU as the UK has given up post-Brexit control of fishery resources.
The maintenance of the status quo is essential for member states, the 19-page paper states.
A reset between the Union and the UK is only credible if it is based on an early understanding on this.
Charles Clover of the Blue Marine Foundation said the measures would leave British fishing waters at the mercy of French trawlers, adding that the demands are absolutely outrageous.
The document said Britain would also be required to abide by rulings from the European Court of Justice on EU law.
European leaders are said to want to make a new trade deal with Sir Keir Starmer dependent on Britain accepting European Court of Justice jurisdiction
The Prime Minister met with European Council president Antonio Costa in Downing Street earlier this week, and used the opportunity to accept an invitation to take part in an EU defence summit in February
Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform said: It would set a precedent for much closer co-operation across a range of other areas, such as energy.
He added that meeting the demands will be difficult for the Prime Minister as the reset could anger the Conservatives and Reform.
The document also states the EU will do a deal on food exports if Starmer agrees to put current EU laws on food and agriculture, known as SPS, into British legislation.
The Government and House of Commons would also need to abide by rulings made by the European Court of Justice on matters of EU law.
It would force the Government to revoke laws brought in under the previous government, which allowed gene-edited food to be developed for commercial use in England.
It comes ahead of planned talks which will take place in the New Year.
The Prime Minister met with European Council president Antonio Costa in Downing Street earlier this week, and used the opportunity to accept an invitation to take part in an EU defence summit in February, the first time a British PM will have attended a leaders meeting the UK left.
His meeting with Mr Costa came just days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves joined European finance ministers in Brussels.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy also met his EU counterparts in recent weeks.
On Monday, Ms Reeves told her eurozone counterparts she wanted to rebuild those bonds of trust that have been fractured in the last few years under the previous government
Foreign Secretary David Lammy also met his EU counterparts in recent weeks
The Prime Minister had talks with European Council president Antonio Costa in Downing Street this afternoon as he seeks a new détente with the bloc.
On Monday, Ms Reeves told her eurozone counterparts she wanted to rebuild those bonds of trust that have been fractured in the last few years under the previous government and to show our friends, neighbours and allies in the European Union that we want a reset of those relationships.
But she bluntly said there were no plans to rejoin EU institutions like the Single Market or Customs Union.
Earlier this week Ms Reeves was told Britain will have to cave into EU demands for greater fishing access and freedom of movement in exchange for closer trading ties.
During her visit to Brussels, the Chancellor was told that greater access to UK waters for EU trawlers and a youth mobility scheme will be ‘on the table’ in future talks.
It came ahead of a summit with EU finance ministers, making Ms Reeves the first British Chancellor to attend such a meeting since the UK left the bloc almost five years ago.
Her attendance was designed to be a statement of intent, with the Chancellor among a group of Cabinet Ministers pushing the hardest for a ‘reset’ in relations with the bloc.
She told them that ‘breaking down barriers to trade’ would be a key goal in future talks to boost economic growth on both sides of the Channel.
In a speech to them, she added: ‘In the long-run, Brexit is expected to cause UK trade intensity to fall by 15 per cent.
‘And with goods exports between both the UK and EU continuing to remain below 2018 levels, this is impacting UK and EU economies alike.
‘And so, the reset in relations is about doing what is in the best interests of our shared economies.’