The fourth round of Brexit negotiations are scheduled to commence today, Monday 25 September, in Brussels. The recommencement of talks comes days after a speech from UK prime minister Theresa May, made in Florence on 22 September, in which she called for a softer break between the country and the European Union, including a transition period of around two years. Her offer would allow existing trade partnerships and the free movement of migrants to continue, until a new (and unprecedented, Ms May hopes) deal is drawn up. While the view of the rest of the EU remains to be seen, companies in the UK have welcomed the news.
“A period of implementation would be in our mutual interest.” It was with these words that Theresa May appeared to make a first step towards a soft Brexit, the approach that has been favoured by UK businesses recent months. In her speech in Florence on Friday, the UK prime minister said: “How long the period is should be determined simply by how long it will take to prepare and implement the new processes and new systems that will underpin that future partnership,” adding the rough estimate of “around two years”.
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