Overview
- Michel Barnier, the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator, told reporters on Friday that the UK could, in principle, rejoin the EU on 'special terms' that include opt-outs from adopting the euro and joining the Schengen passport‑free zone.
- Barnier stressed that his view is personal advice and does not represent a change in official EU policy, leaving legal and political approval by member states as essential next steps.
- He warned that deeper economic integration would still face a major political barrier because the EU is unlikely to grant closer ties without the UK accepting freedom of movement among member states.
- Brussels has already pushed back on a Britain‑proposed goods‑only single market and is instead pursuing narrower, sectoral agreements on trade, health standards, emissions trading and mobility ahead of the July summit.
- If reaccession talk gains traction it could reshape UK domestic politics and voter debate by focusing negotiations on which EU rules the UK could keep, the timetable for fulfilling membership obligations, and the trade‑off between market access and common rules.