EU considering seven-year ‘emergency break’ on UK migration

EU countries are reportedly considering exempting the United Kingdom from EU rules on freedom of movement rules for up to seven years, in a deal that will see the UK retain access to the single market.

The Guardian quoted senior British and EU sources as saying that the idea of an emergency break on migration is being examined, despite initial resistance from French president Francois Hollande.   

The attraction in such a deal for the EU is that it would limit the economic shock to the EU economy from Brexit and lessen the political damage to the European project that would result from a complete divorce.

However, any such agreement would mean that the UK would still have to pay a substantial contribution into the EU budget, although probably at a lower rate, and would lose its seat at the negotiating table when rules on the single market were determined.

During the referendum campaign, the leave camp, spearheaded by Boris Johnson, now the foreign secretary, and Michael Gove, suggested that the UK would save £350m a week in EU contributions as a result of leaving both the EU and the single market. They said the money could instead be spent on the NHS.

However, Johnson appeared to change his tune this week, suggesting that he believed a deal could be struck that would allow the UK access to the single market with new limits on free movement rules for European workers.

“I’ve absolutely no doubt that that balance can be struck, and over the next few weeks we’ll be discussing that in the government and with our European friends and partners,” Johnson said.

“Everybody wishes to make fast progress in the economic interests both of Britain and of the European Union. I think there is a very much a deal there to be done, and the faster we can get it done the better.”