Negotiators from Britain and the European Union agreed a broad structure for further talks on their future relationship after Brexit, dividing economic issues from those on security, the EU said on Friday.
“It is a way of moving forward,” an EU official said after three days of talks in Brussels. The list of topics was, however, not a set of formal headings for future agreements nor would it determine the make-up of negotiating sub-committees.
In a statement, the European Commission’s Brexit Task Force headed by chief negotiator Michel Barnier listed four broad types of discussion:
— the overall basis for cooperation, including issues such as governance, judicial oversight and dispute settlement
— an economic partnership, including trade, customs, agriculture, financial services, transport, energy, subsidies and the digital and broadcasting sector;
— a security partnership, including fighting crime and cooperation in foreign, security and defence policy;
— other issues, notably data protection, cooperative accords in science, education and culture, and fisheries.
The structure was initially put forward by the British side.
