How the United Kingdom leaves the European Union on October 31 – with or without an agreement – remains a matter of charged debate, but the Boris Johnson government has announced that its officials will not attend EU meetings from September 1.
As the August holiday season draws to a close, Brexit will soon occupy centre-stage when parliament reopens on September 3. There is much talk of a no-trust motion against the Johnson government, as Brussels and others watch developments closely.
The Johnson government decided this week that from September 1, UK officials and ministers will only attend EU meetings where the UK has a significant national interest in the outcome of discussions, such as on security, not in meetings in which EU’s future is the focus.
The decision reflects the fact that the Brexit date of October 31 is drawing near and many of the discussions in EU meetings will be about the future of the Union after the UK has left, officials said.
Brexit secretary Steve Barclay said: “An incredible amount of time and effort goes into EU meetings with attendance just the tip of the iceberg. Our diligent, world-class officials also spend many hours preparing for them whether in reading the necessary papers or working on briefings”.
“From now on we will only go to the meetings that really matter, reducing attendance by over half and saving hundreds of hours. This will free up time for ministers and their officials to get on with preparing for our departure on October 31”.
Officials said the decision is not intended to frustrate the functioning of the EU. The UK’s vote in EU meetings until it remains a member-state will be delegated in a way that does not obstruct the ongoing business of the remaining 27 EU members.
