Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas urged EU chiefs to go into trade negotiations united and warned against compromising to keep Britain close after Brexit. He said dumping measures and unfair competitive conditions must be prevented after Britain’s exit from the bloc.
Speaking in Germany’s Bundestag, Mr Mass said: “The European Union is striving for a free trade zone without tariffs and quotas.
“But that means zero dumping and zero unfair competition at the same time. Unfortunately, we are hearing other things from London at the moment.”
Sending a warning shot to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he said: “But Britain will have to take this into account, especially if it wants to continue to enjoy duty-free access to the largest single market in the world.”
Germany also discussed its concerns in a conversation with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
Mr Maas said, although the EU sees Britain as a “close friend and partner”, it must now see it as a “competitor” after its decision to exit the bloc.
He added: “In any case, we will not be able to, and we will not accept competition downwards in terms of environmental standards or the rights of workers and consumers.
READ MORE: Germany crisis: Brexit hits home for EU as Berlin faces EYE-WATERING
Germany’s panic comes after Mr Johnson rejected EU standards and said he is instead striving for “pragmatic” trade relations with the EU similar to those between the EU and Canada.
If this is not possible, he has warned he is willing to accept trade relationships based on the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The news comes after it emerged the eurozone risks an out-of-control crisis after growth plummeted to a seven-year low, and key players like France and Germany dragged down the entire European market.
Germany’s economy stagnated while both France and Italy contracted during the last quarter.
At just 0.1 percent, the eurozone and the EU have both posted their weakest growth since early 2013, which is when the debt crisis risked a European recession.
Europe’s largest economies appeared to drag down the entire bloc, with Germany’s result far below expectations and down from an upwardly revised 0.2 percent in the third quarter.
Paul Sommerville of Sommerville Advisory Markets pointed out that Germany’s economy has been “flat for nine months”.
He warned that “Germany is on the verge of recession again and these numbers are all from before coronavirus”.
Additional reporting my Monika Pallenberg.