EU Trade Chair Says UK Could Rejoin in 'Switzerland Plus' Deal

Bernd Lange, the German member of the European Parliament who chairs its trade committee, said Britain could re-enter the European Union under a “Switzerland plus” package. He said such a deal could be negotiated within months of a British decision to seek deeper ties, The Guardian.

Speaking in London, where his schedule included a meeting with trade minister Anas Sarwar, Lange said “I would love to see the UK back” in the EU. He said the EU missed the UK in decision-making because of its history of promoting open markets and democracy. Lange was involved in the Brexit talks.

Switzerland is not an EU member. It has struck a framework deal cementing frictionless access to the single market across more than 100 agreements.

That deal gives Switzerland access to the EU electricity market, space programmes, Erasmus, the Digital Europe research programme and participation in the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In exchange, Switzerland agreed to free movement of people and to pay €375m (£326m) a year into EU economic and cohesion funds.

Lange described the Switzerland framework as a “passive” agreement that would not involve the UK in EU decision-making. He said the decision on what relationship the UK wants with the EU is entirely “in the hands of the UK”. Former prime minister Boris Johnson rejected a Swiss-style relationship with the EU.

Lange backed Andy Burnham’s call for the UK not to be locked out of the EU’s Made in Europe legislation. That legislation would restrict UK suppliers from inclusion in public procurement tenders and some corporate contracts such as car fleets, The Guardian.