Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team EU leaders set to discuss transition agreement as Theresa May heads to Brussels summit EU leaders will gather on Thursday for a summit at which they are expected to approve the terms of a transition deal with the UK after Brexit. The EU’s Donald Tusk said on Wednesday he had recommended a draft legal text on transition, citizens’ rights and other withdrawal issues to its members. It followed Spanish concerns over how the accord would affect its demands for a say on how Brexit affects Gibraltar… Prime Minister Theresa May has said what she calls the “implementation period”, in which the UK will have to adhere to EU rules, will be a bridge to a new economic and political partnership with the EU. Under the terms of the agreement, the UK will be able to negotiate, sign and ratify its own trade deals while EU citizens arriving in the UK will enjoy the same rights and guarantees as those who arrive before Brexit. – BBC News EU leaders accused of not protecting citizens’ rights in Brexit deal – Guardian Donald Tusk signals secret Brexit deal agreed on Northern Ireland border – Express May to tell EU leaders ‘we are all at risk’ from Russia – Independent UK to ask EU leaders to expel Russian spies from own countries – Guardian Brexit is looking like game of give, and little take… – Joan Hoey for City A.M. Tory MPs and Nigel Farage join fish-flingers in Thames protest over EU transition deal… Protesters have flung fish into the River Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament this morning in a demonstration against the Government’s Brexit transition deal. Fishermen and Tory MPs took part in the protest after the Government caved to demands from Brussels that Britain remain in the Common Fisheries Policy until 31 December 2020. The climbdown over the transition deal means that the UK will be subject to quotas imposed on British fishermen from the EU for an additional 21 months… They were joined by Scottish MP Ross Thomson, who was seen flying flags and waving to cameras alongside fishermen and reporters. – Telegraph (£) Too many in No 10, unfortunately, regard Brexit as an outbreak of nativism, and that’s probably why they didn’t appreciate how salient this issue would be, even among Remainers. The fate of the fishing industry has the ability to magically turn Europhiles into Leavers. Even Ruth Davidson has come out swinging for a sector that is critical for the Scottish coast. She appreciates what the Prime Minister’s staff do not: that there are plenty more votes in the sea. – Telegraph editorial (£) Protesters throw fish into Thames in Brexit deal protest – BBC News Britain’s post-Brexit priorities are starting to smell a bit fishy – Bruce Dear for City A.M. If the Tories cared about our nation, they’d have fought for fishing – Andrew Cadman for ConservativeWoman The British people do not want fishermen hung out to dry – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£) Better late than never – Mogg gets there on Brexit – Laura Perrins for ConservativeWoman …as Theresa May attempts to appease backbench anger on the issue Speaking at prime minister’s questions Mrs May insisted that the UK would regain control over its waters at the end of the transition period in December 2020. She defended her government’s approach, arguing that it had accepted the transition period to ensure businesses did not face two “cliff edges”, once at Brexit and again at the end of the transition period. Mrs May said: “We will be working with the fishing industry, both fishermen and fish processors, to ensure that we do see a bright future for the fishing industry.” – The Times (£) Theresa May could be the Churchill of our time – Shanker Singham for Politico > Watch on BrexitCentral’s YouTube Channel: Fishing at PMQs Franco-Dutch company poised to win contract to produce iconic blue British passports A Franco-Dutch company is poised to win the contract to make the iconic blue British passport after the UK leaves the European Union, the Telegraph understands. In a move set to infuriate Brexiteers, sources have told this newspaper that Gemalto, which is listed on the Amsterdam and Paris stock exchanges, is close to signing the contract after undercutting rivals, including a British firm, by around £50 million. Sir Bill Cash, chair of the influential European Scrutiny Committee, said the decision which is expected to be finalised shortly was “completely wrong and unnecessary”. – Telegraph (£) Former Cabinet minister Priti Patel dubbed it “a disgraceful decision” and “perverse”. The prominent Brexit campaigner added: “This should be a moment that we should be celebrating. The return of our iconic blue passport will re-establish the British identity. But to be putting the job in the hands of the French is simply astonishing. It is a national humiliation. I would urge Amber Rudd and the Government to look again at the powers they have to see what they can do.” Another former Cabinet minister, Maria Miller, whose constituency Basingstoke houses De La Rue’s HQ, is pushing ministers hard to reverse the decision. – The Sun Sorry episode over blue British passport contract shows need to break free from Brussels rules – Leo Mckinstry for the Telegraph (£) Discussions have begun about how to reshape Whitehall post-Brexit Discussions have started over who will lead Britain’s trade negotiations with the EU, and how to carve up the Department for Exiting the EU (Dexeu) after Brexit. With just over a year to go until the UK leaves the EU, and with Brussels poised to sign off a 21-month transition deal, Britain’s senior civil servants are turning their attention to how to reshape their departments after Brexit in March 2019. “Discussion is under way,” said one senior official. “There is an assumption that [David] Davis will retire from the cabinet when we formally leave the EU and that will open up the possibility of ending the Dexeu operation altogether.” – FT (£) Wales EU Continuity Bill expected to be passed by AMs A bill to prevent what Welsh ministers call a Whitehall “power-grab” has been passed by AMs. The Continuity Bill will bring powers over devolved matters currently wielded at EU level to Cardiff Bay. The draft legislation was fast-tracked through the assembly amid a row between Welsh Labour and UK Conservative ministers over the UK government’s Brexit bill. UK ministers have insisted their proposals will strengthen devolution. The UK government wants to keep some powers in devolved areas temporarily, saying they are needed to protect the UK internal market. – BBC News Holyrood Brexit bill ‘to spark legal fight’ – The Times (£) Iconic British firm Tate & Lyle reveals shock sums it sends to Brussels Iconic British sugar refiners Tate & Lyle said the European Union forces the company to pay a 35 percent duty on imports before they are allowed to sell their products on the British market. Tate & Lyle has long complained about the “prohibitively high” import tariffs the European Union imposes on foreign-grown sugar cane – with senior Vice-President Gerald Mason hailing the opportunities Brexit offers the company. Mr Mason argued that leaving the EU will put an end to the cheques the sugar-refinery business has to pay to Brussels before being allowed to sell its products. He said: “On some of the ships we buy, we face a tariff of around 35 percent.” – Express Gibraltarians coming to terms with Brexit Local businesses are beginning to get more used to the idea of operating outside the single market, especially after the government of Gibraltar revealed that roughly 90% of its financial services trade within the single market is actually with the UK. “Somehow we had not realised or considered it before,” says Joe Garcia, a veteran local journalist who has been covering all things Gibraltar since the 1960s.”People who bet online in Britain, 60% of those bets actually come through Gibraltar, and it’s the same with requests for car insurance. When you are out in Britain, look around. One out of every six cars is insured in Gibraltar.” – BBC News ‘Cheddar cheese will have more rights than us’ – British expats feeling left out in Brexit talks – Telegraph (£) Iain Martin: EU’s deep divisions can help our Brexit deal Vladimir Putin has plenty of reasons to smile right now and chief among them is the European Union: weak, divided and confused in the face of Russian aggression. On Tuesday, he received a letter from Jean-Claude Juncker, president of theEuropean Commission. “Excellency” Juncker began, oleaginously addressing Putin as though seeking to avoid execution at the hands of a medieval monarch. The EC leader said he sought a “pan-European security order” with Russia — a country whose government menaces its neighbours, wants to swallow the Baltic states and kills its opponents abroad. Iain Martin for The Times (£) The EU member states do have different interests – but that does not mean they will divide – Tim Durrant for the Telegraph (£) Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: The next global recession will entirely reshape the Brexit debate By deferring the Brexit cliff-edge for another 21 months, Theresa May has more or less guaranteed that the final excruciating battle will occur during the next global economic downturn. Circumstances are likely to be horrible for both sides. A cyclical recession will change the chemistry of Brexit talks… My fear is that some in Brussels intend to confront the UK with a Serbian ultimatum at the 11th hour that no sovereign nation can accept. By that time it will be too late to prepare for an alternative model on WTO terms. I fear that they will orchestrate the sequencing in such a way that the UK ends up paying its £40bn exit fee before anything firm has been nailed down. – Ambrose Evans-Pritchard for the Telegraph (£) Pieter Cleppe: The UK’s wins and losses in the Brexit transition deal On Monday, Britain and the EU announced a lot of progress on the terms of the British exit from the European Union, specifically when it comes to the so-called “transition stage” which will last until January 1st 2021, and during which Britain will take over EU rules in order to keep access to the EU single market… Fundamentally, the question will be how long the transition stage will turn out to be. There are no provisions to extend it, but apparently, many European governments think the duration can be reviewed. Legally it’s possible to extend it simply by having EU leaders and the UK government sign a Treaty to extend it, while enabling the trade aspects to enter into force provisionally, similar to the procedure of the EU’s agreement with Ukraine and Canada. – Pieter Cleppe for CapX In defence of the Brexit transition deal – Iain Martin for Reaction Why has Britain unconditionally surrendered to the EU? – Gerald Warner for Reaction (£) Comment in Brief Labour and Remoaners must stop painting Brexit as an apocalypse — especially when our economy is on the up – The Sun editorial It is time for political game-playing over the Irish border to be stopped – Ray Bassett for ConservativeHome The Bank of England must keeps its eye on a May interest rate hike – Julian Harris for City A.M. It’s time for the EU to get real – Jens Spahn for Politico The Tories just don’t get it – Alex Massie for The Spectator News in Brief Record 32.2 Million In Work – Huffington Post Britain urged to prioritise travel in Brexit talks to help create jobs – Reuters Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn boost level of interest in British politics to 25 year high – Telegraph (£) EU leaders remain hopeful that Trump will grant them an exemption to US trade tariffs – Telegraph (£)