[ad_1]
Negotiations for a trade pact between Britain and the EU are expanding once again; It should be the last try But apparently neither party expects the deal at the last minute.
One last spark of hope remains, but now both the EU and Britain are extremely pessimistic about difficult negotiations for a joint trade deal. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson assumes a “high probability” of a no-deal Brexit.
In the future, British relations with the EU will likely be based on the Australian model and less on the Canadian one, Johnson said. There is no trade pact linking Australia and the EU. This means that customs duties are incurred when importing or exporting goods.
The same threatens from next year for trade between Britain and the EU countries. Britain left the EU in early February. A transitional phase entered into force to negotiate the now controversial trade agreement. But Brussels and London went round and round with no result of the talks: the differences are too great, it was said late Wednesday after a joint meeting between Johnson and the head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Especially when it comes to fishing rights, rules of fair competition, and future dispute resolution, both parties simply cannot reach a common denominator.
“Extra mile” for negotiations
Now he goes to “extra effort,” as Johnson put it in the evening: negotiations will continue through Sunday; it should be the last postponement, because a trade pact would have to be ratified before the end of the year. Otherwise, mutual tariffs and trade barriers threaten from January. The prime minister reiterated his willingness to advocate for a last-minute deal:
“I’m going to Brussels, I’m going to Paris, I’m going to Berlin, I’m going to go anywhere to get a home deal.”
British Chancellor Dominic Raab also spoke of renewed and prolonged negotiations for a “moment of finality” to be reached at the weekend. Sunday is the final deadline, but: “You can never say definitely never.”
The EU is also preparing for the no-deal scenario
Obviously, the EU no longer wants to keep this back door open. She is also now preparing for a harsh separation from Britain. The EU Commission proposed temporary emergency measures to avoid disruptions in road freight and air traffic in the event that negotiations failed. The plan includes, among other things, that certain air connections will remain until mid-2021.
There should also be a transitional regulation for the recognition of aircraft safety certificates so that they do not have to be deregistered from the EU. There should be a similar mutual regulation to maintain freight transport and bus traffic, also for six months.
It is also suggested that an “appropriate legal framework” be created to allow EU and British fishermen to access the respective waters after December 31.
EU states had demanded measures
Several EU states had repeatedly urged the Commission to go ahead with emergency measures. The Commission delayed this. Now he justified the measure with the great uncertainty of whether a trade agreement will come into force by January 1 that would make these measures unnecessary.
“Negotiations are still ongoing, but the end of the transition period is near,” von der Leyen wrote on Twitter. It is important to be prepared for any eventuality, he said. Even if an agreement is reached, it is not clear whether it will take effect in time for the turn of the year.
