No 10 has challenged Brussels to ditch its “ideological” Brexit stance for the good of the coronavirus battered world economy.
Michael Gove said there was a “powerful incentive” for the bloc to compromise and get a deal – warning failure to do so will hit its global reputation.
In a move that will heap further pressure on embattled Michel Barnier he even accused eurocrats of putting bureaucracy before people.
He said: “There is a very powerful incentive for the EU to put the interests of its members and its citizens ahead of ideology.”
The Cabinet Office minister said the success of the negotiations “depends on the EU recognising the UK is a sovereign equal”.
He told MPs: “The EU essentially wants us to obey the rules of their club even though we’re no longer members.
“And they want the same access to our fishing grounds as they currently enjoy while restricting our access to their markets.
“It remains difficult to reach a mutually beneficial agreement while the EU maintains such an ideological approach.
‘AGREEMENT IS POSSIBLE’
“But we believe agreement is possible if flexibility is shown.”
Downing St has published a complete set of legal texts outlining the deal it wants – meaning they can be examined by Member States for the first time.
The move comes after UK officials expressed concerns Mr Barnier is struggling to get the attention of EU capitals busy fighting coronavirus.
British negotiators hope it will persuade European leaders to get more involved and move on from the bloc’s hardline stance.
They say talks with the Frenchman have hit an impasse as his hands are tied by an “un-negotiable” mandate.
The texts call for a simple Canada-style free trade agreement under which the UK would break free from Brussels red tape.
They also outline a separate Norway-style fishing pact, with annual negotiations over access for EU vessels to British waters.
Mr Barnier had a dig at how long the UK had kept the texts secret – pointing out Brussels published its plan for a deal two months ago.
The PM’s chief negotiator David Frost last night accused Mr Barnier of singling out the UK for unfair treatment.
In a fiery letter he demanded to know why the bloc won’t offer Britain the same access for goods and services it gives many other countries.
And he slammed the EU chief’s argument the UK must pay a higher price for a trade deal because of how close it is as “hard to justify”.
He wrote: “We find it hard to see what makes the UK, uniquely among your trading partners, so unworthy of being offered the kind of well-precedented arrangements commonplace in modern FTAs.
“What is on offer is not a fair free trade relationship between close economic partners, but a relatively low-quality trade agreement coming with unprecedented EU oversight of our laws and institutions.”
