Britain's Regulatory Distance from the EU Is Making a Return Far More Expensive

Since 2021, the UK has steadily diverged from EU standards in finance, data protection, and product safety. This matters because EU membership candidates face chapter-by-chapter assessments against Brussels' rulebook. A Britain that has built years of separate regulations now faces longer, costlier realignment negotiations than if its rules already aligned. Michel Barnier's recent comments suggest this gap is becoming strategically urgent.