UK to publish Brexit papers on goods and documents

The British government will next week publish a second round of plans on its post-Brexit relationship with the European Union, focusing on the availability of goods and the confidentiality of documents.

The publications come a week after David Davis, the secretary of state for exiting the European Union, announced an initial series of position papers aimed at laying the groundwork for the next round of Brexit negotiations, to be held in Brussels at the end of August. Those proposals included a plan for the post-Brexit border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The British government said it would publish its plans on Monday on how to allow the most frictionless trade possible in goods and services between the country and the EU. It will also set out its position on ensuring that official documents and information exchanged between the U.K. government and the EU and other member countries are protected.

It also plans to release its position by Thursday on how British legislation would take precedence after the country leaves the EU, detailing how the role of the European Court of Justice would be diminished in a post-Brexit world.

"This week we set out more detail of the future relationship we want with the European Union,” Davis said in a statement. "It wouldn’t be in either of our interests to run aspects of the negotiations twice.”

With roughly 18 months left before Britain is scheduled to leave the EU, the country’s politicians are eager to outline how the new relationship could work.

This haggling comes as the British government and lobbying interests on both sides ramp up their activities ahead of the October European Council, where EU leaders will judge whether Brexit talks have made sufficient progress to proceed to the next phase — talks on the future relationship.

This next phase will include discussion of options for a transition deal and groundwork for a future trade agreement between the U.K. and the EU.

While the British government has strongly pushed for talks on its future relationship with the EU, European policymakers have shown more caution. Brussels officials have called on their U.K. counterparts to make progress on other issues — notably, EU citizens’ rights and the post-Brexit bill — before discussions on a free trade agreement can begin.

"The quicker U.K. and EU27 agree on citizens, settling accounts and Ireland, the quicker we can discuss customs and future relationship,” Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, said on Twitter last week.