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The UK has not ruled out joining an arrangement that facilitates tariff-free trading between the EU and neighbouring countries. The Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention (PEM) allows for tariff-free trade of certain goods from dozens of countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. On Wednesday, the EU’s new trade head Maros Sefcovic told the BBC he was open to the UK participating in PEM as part of a post-Brexit “reset”. However, EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said “We don’t currently have any plans to join PEM”. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds added, “We talked to business a lot about it…some sectors would benefit, some wouldn’t”.
In the House of Commons, Thomas-Symonds welcomed the “positive, constructive tone” from the EU trade commissioner but emphasised, “We don’t currently have any plans to join PEM, and we are not going to provide a running commentary on every comment that’s made.” The minister’s comments prompted criticism from the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who recently called for the UK to join a new customs deal with the EU to enable tariff-free trade between the blocs. This would also restrict the UK’s ability to negotiate trade deals with other countries.
Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel accused Labour of “bending the knee to the EU” while Conservative MP John Cooper said joining PEM would risk turning the UK “once again into rule-takers and not rule-makers”. In contrast, the prime minister’s official spokesman said “We think that there’s room to improve on the trading relationship with the EU, and we’ll be having those discussions.” The spokesman emphasised that the UK would never re-join the single market or customs union or permit freedom of movement.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sefcovic said the UK had not proposed joining PEM but added that the “ball is in the UK’s court” to formulate a precise proposal. He emphasised the need for “creative solutions” to ensure a mutually beneficial trading relationship
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