Brexit minister notes CETA delays in concerns over timeline for EU deal

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Britain's Brexit minister has signalled he's worried about getting bogged down like Canada in reaching a new agreement with the European Union.

David Davis, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, was appointed in July by Prime Minister Theresa May to co-ordinate the government's negotiations on leaving the EU. Once Britain triggers the exit clause in the EU treaty, both sides have two years to reach a new arrangement. Mr. Davis has yet to provide many details about what Britain will be seeking and whether the country will be able to keep open access to the EU market without accepting the free movement of EU citizens, something Brexit backers have opposed.

During a parliamentary committee hearing on Tuesday, Mr. Davis was asked about possible pitfalls in the negotiations. "In terms of risks … some of the things we're looking at are, well, take the Canadian treaty," he replied.

"The Canadian treaty, I think, by the standards of the European Union is a very good treaty, but it's gone into the mixed procedure, which is going to take quite a long time. I mean, it requires all 36 parliaments in Europe, including the Walloon parliament [in Belgium], to approve it and so one of the things we have to look at very carefully is how the end game of this legally works out. What the decision-making procedure is. Are we going to be sitting around after the two years is up waiting for approval?"

Canada and the EU spent five years negotiating the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, which was signed in 2014. Ratification has been held up largely because the treaty was designated a "mixed agreement," meaning it must be approved by every parliament within the European Union. Canadian officials have said they hope that process can be completed next year and that much of the treaty can come into force on a provisional basis. However, CETA has been caught up in growing opposition across Europe over trade agreements and discussions between the EU and the United States on a similar deal.

Mr. Davis did not provide any further details about his concerns over ratification of CETA, but the Canadian agreement has been cited frequently by Brexit backers as an example for Britain to follow. This was the first time a key minister has indicated concern about the length of time CETA has taken.

On Tuesday, the EU's chief negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, said that "if Britain wants access to the single market, it must accept free movement of citizens." The British government has indicated it wants access to the EU market, but it hasn't been clear about what kind of immigration controls it wants.

"Mr. Verhofstadt's comment is not new," Mr. Davis told the committee. "Whilst I won't get drawn into what our position on it is, you are right in one respect that the language used about the single market, access to the single market and membership of the single market does get very confused. What we want to see is the best trading capacity for British manufacturing and service industry. That could be any of those things."

He also said there was a possibility Britain will get no agreement and would have to trade with the EU under World Trade Organization rules. But he said that was not a likely outcome.

Mr. Davis also said his department has about 200 staff but that it was expected to have 400 by the time the government begins negotiations with the EU in early 2017. The EU has around 600 trade negotiators.