As reported by German officials, a trade deal between the European Union and the United Kingdom may require more than two years to be negotiated. A cautious optimism can however be perceived in regards to the issue of citizens' rights.
"A post-Brexit trade deal between the European Union and the United Kingdom is very unlikely to be concluded within the time scale of two years", said Stephan Mayer, the home affairs spokesman for Angela Merkel's party.
On another note, as far as the issue of citizens' rights is concerned, could be much easier to resolve. Mr. Mayer's comments in response to Theresa May's concerns regarding UK citizens' rights in EU and EU citizens living in the UK were sympathetic towards the British government. More than one million British citizens are currently living in the EU and 300,000 German citizens live in the UK, thus making the issue of importance for both Theresa May and Stephen Mayer.
Although Germany fully intends to maintain UK's position as one of the pillars of the single market, the German government claims it would be very naïve to expect a complex trade deal to be concluded as soon as the next two years. Many EU governments are however concerned about the status of their expats in the UK in a post-Brexit scenario, and are currently pushing to have some light cast on the issue.
Reportedly, Theresa May hopes to have the issue addressed in the early part of discussions in Brussels. Downing Street insists the Brexit negotiations should be concluded within 2018, although the UK ambassador to the EU suggested it could take up to a decade to finalise discussions.
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