EU BYTES
Former Executive Director of the European Casino Association and current Managing Director of Time & Place Consulting, Glenn Cezanne provides the latest info on what’s trending and what’s coming down the pipeline in Brussels and around the EU.
EU Bytes T
Glenn Cezanne
he summer break is over, and the European Parliament is back in session. The EU quarter is bustling again with Commission officials, Members of the European
Parliament, and people like me, chasing all the leads to find out about all the political and policy trends. The areas surrounding the EU institutions during the month of August are a reminder of the difference the EU makes to the local economy. But, the lights have still been on in many of the buildings. Quite a few decision- makers and interest representatives have decided to stay, not least because of the Brexit negotiations. Everyone knows that time is ticking as the deadline for negotiations (March 2019) is quickly approaching. Industry is concerned. Politicians are concerned. Civil society is concerned. Watching the negotiations unravel is fascinating, not least because there is no precedent of this kind, at least not when the counterparts have been so intrinsically linked at all levels of governance, law and society. I would like to dedicate this second edition of EU Bytes primarily to the ongoing Brexit negotiations, not only to tell you about what is being said, but to give you a feeling about the dynamics and what can be expected. Of course, gambling-specific developments at EU level haven’t been subject to a moratorium.
The Next Bricks of Brexit With the third round of negotiations just
having passed, and the fourth round starting mid-September, it is evident that significant common ground is still to be found. And, pressure is building up. The EU-27 negotiating team led by Michel Barnier has emphasised that the first phase of negotiations will only end once the issues of
36 SEPTEMBER 2017
the (1) financial settlement, (2) the question of the island of Ireland and the border (Good Friday agreement), and (3) EU citizen’s rights are settled. The second phase will be on temporary and permanent structures of EU- UK relations.
UK chief negotiator David Davis’ attempt to
move forward on the issues and initiate early debate on the second phase has fallen on deaf ears. The UK has published a series of position papers to this end, but Barnier and the EU-27 are not reacting, except with concern that things are not moving on. So where lies the problem for the UK? It seems, the government is avoiding any money offer to the EU for the financial settlement, especially with hardliners in the UK waiting to react. Whilst the EU-27 state that the amount (calculated in some cases up to EUR 100 billion) is a legal obligation, the UK sends mixed messages about this obligation. Maybe only once the Conservative Party Conference in October is over and Prime Minister Theresa May retains her position, will a counter offer be submitted. Furthermore, in light of the question of citizens’ rights, the EU suggests that the European Court of Justice should have jurisdictional power in the UK to protect those rights. The UK believes its courts are more than sufficient and does not want to sacrifice its sovereignty, a (if not the) key motivator for Brexit. There is important agreement though, such as the necessity to uphold the Good Friday agreement for the island of Ireland. Furthermore, nobody wants a hard border
between Northern Ireland and Ireland, but goods and services will need to be tracked, not least because of taxation and standards. No one knows how that can really happen, but most seem quite assured someone will come up with an imaginative, maybe even high-tech solution.
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