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In the dispute over a Brexit trade pact, the European Union and Britain have moved towards a deal. “We are now in the final phase,” said an EU representative in the afternoon. In London it was heard from British government circles that a deal was “possible but far from secure” on Wednesday. From various other sources it was said that the long and very difficult point of fair competition had been cleared up and that the second sticking point, fishing, was very close.
Both parties have been negotiating a trade agreement for the January 1 period for months. Then the transition phase of Brexit ends. If a deal is struck, a severe economic breakdown at the end of the year could be avoided at the last minute. However, due to lack of time, an agreement could no longer be ratified in time. It would have to be fully or partially applied for now. In any case, the EU states would have to agree beforehand.
During the day, Irish Prime Minister Michéal Martin and British Construction Minister Robert Jenrick expressed cautious optimism. Brexit experts in the European Parliament also spoke of the possibility of a deal, but also voiced strong criticism that nothing had been decided so shortly before the deadline.
With the end of the transition period on December 31, Great Britain will leave the internal market and the customs union. Without a follow-up agreement, there is a risk of tariffs and trade barriers, as well as stricter merchandise controls at the borders. Thousands of trucks are already stuck on the British side en route to the mainland because France had temporarily sealed the border due to the mutated corona virus, from the point of view of critics, a preview of the situation in a no-deal Brexit.
Von der Leyen and Johnson were directly involved
In recent days, the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Boris Johnson, have been directly involved in the negotiations. The compromise text, which is now under scrutiny, is about two thousand pages long, according to information from the AFP news agency from EU circles. Much remains to be verified, an EU diplomat said according to the agency.
If negotiators report a breakthrough, the governments of the 27 EU member states would have to agree as well. To this end, there could first be a meeting of the EU ambassadors in Brussels. Then the text would be verified in the capitals. So it could be several days before the EU gets the green light, it was said from EU circles.
However, according to information from AFP, member states began to prepare for the provisional application of a possible agreement. Later, it could be ratified by the EU Parliament. Because MPs no longer consider regular ratification possible this year.
