All of those negotiations will take time, probably several years at least for any SPS agreement, particularly if the UK seeks exclusions or derogations from relevant EU laws. The outcome and timing of all these negotiations is too uncertain for anything to be taken into
consideration re the budget.

Sigh. There is no ‘deal’. The Common Understanding produced in May said the parties would ‘work toward’ an SPS agreement; ‘work toward’ a balanced youth experience scheme; and ‘explore’ UK participation in the EU energy market. All of these (and other items) have yet to be negotiated.

"If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear,"

This has happened against my wishes, and I’m genuinely dismayed by it.

Not because people can’t disagree with my words, but because self-censorship driven by fear (Trump threatening to sue the BBC) should concern all of us. /3

You’re not wrong, Martín. It’s astonishing, their faith in him. Ot’s what may happen when they finally realise he is not going to save them
that worries me.

Surely it’s not news to you.

Hear, hear!

I was really taken aback by the naïveté of this plan envisaging the U.K. joining the SM for industrialised goods ’at the price of’ FOM and some payments. Partial, selective, limited SM membership is not politically acceptable; practically and legally it would be impossibly cumbersome to design.

Well, yeah. The EU, at least, is carrying out its obligations under the WA and TCA.

The EU has always been very sensitive to the problems of NI but those issues can only be resolved by Irish people, north and south. The EU can only try to help manage them.
Nobody would want a collapse of UK, but it’s not the job of the rest of Europe to prevent it—nor would they be able to.

This must at some point generate real resistance from people who can see no way to better their lot. As the saying goes: revolutions start when a critical mass of people feel they have nothing to lose if ‘the system’ breaks.

I fear the EU is arriving late to this party, but that’s all the more reason to get to work asap on EU cyber independence.

Interesting thought, Gravitas. I’ve always been uneasy about systems that can be accessed by the US govt, never more so than now. Will be interested to see Kagi’s reply but if as its HQ is in the US, the US govt could probably get data held in a subsidiary by serving a subpoena on the US parent.

Thank you!

Turkey has a customs union with Europe and there's no such thing as a single market only for goods. If services are regulated differently then one side will enjoy cheaper finance. This will distort the goods market

I’ve heard of Kagi but I wonder if there are any EU-based alternatives? I am increasingly interested is getting away from US technology.