THE EUROPEAN Union has finally admitted that without the UK’s sizeable contributions the bloated Brussels budget will collapse, draft EU documents have revealed.
Confidential papers from the European Commission reveal that Brexit will slash the trade bloc’s budget by 16 per cent and could lead to a suspension of aid to some of Europe’s expectant countries.
Spain’s €37billion (£33bn) and Italy’s €43bn in structural funds from the EU could be drastically cut once the UK leaves the EU, while aid money to Greece, Portugal and Eastern European countries could also be at risk.
The failure of the EU to secure a large divorce bill with the UK could lead to chaotic infighting inside the EU27.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has argued that Britain should not give in to EU bullying over the Brexit divorce bill arguing that it is the Prime minister’s “trump card” in negotiations as Brussels is desperate for money to reduce its fiscal gap.
He said: “If we say that we are not continuing to contribute without a deal to the last 21 months of the multi-annual financial framework then the EU has a huge hole in its budget – it has no legal ability to borrow and it is effectively insolvent for that period.
“So I would say to people who say we’re not going to get on to the second stage, well that’s fine, but then you haven’t got any money for 21 months.
“Where are you going to get it from?
“Is Germany going to pay more or is Poland going to receive less?
“It’s a really strong negotiating position.”
Britain and Brussels have agreed that “sufficient progress” must be made on the divorce bill, the rights of citizens, and the Northern Ireland/Ireland border before negotiations can move on to “phase two” of negotiations which includes any future trade agreement.
Career politician and senior EU boss, Donald Tusk, said that an agreement must be struck at the start of December "at the latest" or he will not have time to make the recommendation to member states that they vote to open trade talks this year.
Mr Tusk said: “In October the EU27 started internal preparation on the second phase of negotiations, namely transition, and the future relationship, and we will be ready to move onto the second phase already in December.
“But in order to do that, we need to see more progress from the UK side. While good progress on citizens’ rights is being made we need to see much more progress on Ireland and on the financial settlement.
“In order to avoid any ambiguities about our work calendar, I made it very clear to prime minister May that this progress needs to happen at the beginning of December at the latest.
“If there’s no sufficient progress by then I will not be in a position to propose new guidelines on transition and the future relationship at the December council.”
However, an expert from Brussels based think tank Open Europe has said that Britain has the better negotiating hand.
Speaking to the Telegraph Pieter Cleppe said: “The money is Britain’s trump card. There is going to be so much political pain if they don’t get it.”
In her Florence speech, Mrs May pledged to pay into the EU budget for two years after we leave on March 29, 2019 – adding an estimated extra £18billion to Brussels’ coffers.
But it has always been implied that the time-limited offer of continuing to pay into EU budgets until 2021 is conditional on the UK and EU forming a new tariff-free trading partnership.
The EU is refusing to move on to trade talks until the UK makes progress on an additional “divorce” payment to settle long-term liabilities such as pensions and debts, with Brussels demanding up to £53bn.