UK cannot 'cherry pick' EU single market deal, Barnier tells BBC

Legenda da figura, Michel Barnier diz que não haverá 'no cherry-picking' em um acordo para que o Reino Unido retorne à UE.

• Published7 November 2026, 13:02 GMT.
• Why the prime minister wants to talk about Brexit againPublished13 October.

The EU's former Brexit negotiator has warned that the UK cannot "cherry pick" which elements of the single market to which it subscribes, after Andy Burnham said he wanted to explore closer economic ties with Europe.

O primeiro‑ministro disse que a reentrada no mercado interno do bloco estava entre as opções que ele poderia seguir como parte de uma reestruturação das relações desde a saída do Reino Unido da UE há quase seis anos.

But Michel Barnier told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that EU members would insist on the UK readopting certain conditions, such as the free movement of people, to gain access.

Ele disse que não havia um menu “single market à la carte” do qual o Reino Unido pudesse escolher e selecionar quais elementos queria adotar.

Barnier - who led the EU delegation during Brexit talks between 2016 and 2021, and had a three-month spell as French prime minister in 2024 - said the "door is open" within Europe to the UK rejoining as an EU member.

Mas ele insistiu que qualquer passo para reingressar no mercado único — que permite a livre circulação de bens sem controles fronteiriços — exigiria que o Reino Unido seguisse os mesmos termos que os demais membros.

He added that this included compliance with regulations designed to promote the circulation of goods, services, capital and people, referred to collectively within EU institutions as the "four freedoms.

There will be no possibility to have one freedom and not the other. The four freedoms are clearly the four conditions to be inside a single market.

Since becoming prime minister in July, Burnham has suggested he could commit Labour to pursuing a much closer future relationship with Europe, including asking to rejoin the organisation as a full member, though he has ruled out major changes before the next election.

Seus predecessores firmaram uma série de acordos com a UE sobre diferentes aspectos de como o Reino Unido e a UE interagem pós‑Brexit.

Both sides are hoping to use a meeting in Brussels in 10 days' time to unveil deals on food standards, youth visas and re-linking British industry to the EU's carbon trading regime.

Das quatro liberdades, a livre circulação de pessoas – que permite aos cidadãos da UE viver e trabalhar em outros países do bloco sem visto – foi uma questão chave durante o referendo do Brexit de 2016.

Burnham's immediate predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, ruled out re-establishing it for the UK in Labour's 2024 election manifesto and any move to advocate it again would prove a key dividing line with the Conservatives and Reform UK at a future poll.

Burnham recently said in an interview that he would not re-establish free movement of people without a referendum, prompting Downing Street to clarify that he was not advocating its return at this point.

He has previously said he wanted to lay out "different options" for the relationship with Europe at the Brussels summit later this month, before trying to find a consensus with the British public on a new relationship.

Barnier também previu que os países da UE rejeitariam a readmissão do reembolso financeiro britânico, negociado pela primeira vez em 1985, que reduzia as contribuições do Reino Unido para o orçamento anual da UE enquanto era membro.

The UK's decision to leave the bloc had created "a new situation", he said, meaning a new rebate would be "off the table.

Asked by Kuenssberg to clarify what he was referring to with his accusation of lies, Barnier said "for instance, when Mr Farage and Mr Johnson promised the UK people to get back [£350] million per week, it was not true, it was not possible.

The Vote Leave campaign, of which Boris Johnson became a key figure, has been criticised previously for the slogan on the side of their campaign bus that said Britain sent £350m a week to the EU, adding: "Let's fund our NHS instead.

Johnson disse em 2017 que "quando tivermos quitado nossas contas, retomaremos o controle de cerca de £350m por semana. Seria uma boa coisa, como muitos de nós já apontaram, se muito desse dinheiro fosse destinado ao NHS.

Critics have said that the £350m per week was an approximate sum which represents a "gross contribution" and did not take into account the UK's £75m-a-week rebate nor the EU's investments in the UK.

Johnson has since defended the claim, saying the £350m was based on the UK's gross contribution to the EU, and was in fact an underestimate as UK contributions were due to rise.

Farage, who led Leave UK and was not part of the Vote Leave campaign so not connected to the £350m claim, said: "It is the same old Barnier - arrogant, out of touch and a bully.

Ele justifica nossa decisão de sair a cada vez que abre a boca.