Michel Barnier
European Chief Negotiator
Taskforce on Article 50 negotiations with the UK
Rue de la Loi 200 Berlaymont – 1049 – Brussels
Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP
Secretary of State, Department for Exiting the EU
9 Downing Street London, SW1A 2AS
12 November 2018
Dear Mr Barnier and Mr Raab,
We are writing to you on behalf of the Energy industry at this critical time for the Brexit negotiations, particularly as negotiations on the Future Relationship and Political Declaration are well underway.
The energy sector has a long history of collaboration between the countries of Europe. This cooperation has enabled available resources and capacity to be shared across borders to reduce costs, improve security of supply, better integrate renewable energy and achieve climate change targets.
This is something very specific to our sector and will need to be a significant feature in the UK’s future relationship with the EU. For that reason, we, both European and British trade associations, are advocating for a comprehensive energy and climate chapter to be part of the future Free Trade Agreement.
To achieve this, and to ensure that we minimise impact on UK and EU citizens and give the industry certainty to carry out long term investments, we believe it is vital that any Political Declaration includes energy and climate change as key areas that are addressed directly. An indication that energy and climate change will be considered will help to give confidence to the industry in the EU and the UK and ensure that we are heading in the right direction in the new relationship.
We therefore suggest that the following text could be included for the mutual benefit of the UK and EU:
The UK and EU will negotiate a comprehensive relationship on energy trading and climate policy based on high alignment to ensure the continuation of co-operation in this key area of strategic interest for the mutual benefits of the UK and the EU, ensuring both can continue to provide affordable, secure and sustainable energy
to their citizens and businesses in a coordinated manner.
Our organisations would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and engage with your departments further on the Political Declaration to ensure that energy and climate change matters are considered.
CC:
UK
Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Rt Hon Claire Perry MP, Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth
Oliver Robbins, Prime Minister’s Europe Adviser
Alex Chisholm, Permanent Secretary, BEIS
Philip Rycroft, Permanent Secretary, DExEU
EU
Miguel Arias Cañete, EU Commissioner for Climate Action & Energy
Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission
Guy Verhofstadt, European Parliament’s representative in the Brexit negotiations Coreper I and
II Ambassadors
Tadhg O’Briain (Internal Market, Sectors and Cross-Cutting Regulation, Taskforce 50)
Didier Seeuws, the Council Brexit Task Force lead.
Please send responses to:
Lawrence Slade
Energy UK
26 Finsbury Square
London EC2A 1DS – UK
