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In their negotiations on a Brexit trade pact, the UK and the EU remain clearly separated. “The most likely outcome” is that there is currently no agreement, it was said Saturday night from the negotiating circles. “We will turn over every stone to reach an agreement.” But there are still “important open questions” about fishing and subsidies. “Negotiations continue, but we are still very far apart.”
The pressure is great, because the European Parliament has set a final deadline for Sunday night. By then, a full business contract should be available, otherwise MPs would not have enough time to examine. EU negotiator Michel Barnier warned on Friday that there were only “a few hours” left for a deal. However, the negotiators had previously missed several deadlines. More recently it was said, especially in London, that the only deadline was December 31st. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly expressed skepticism that both sides still reach an agreement.
Fishing conflict point
Fishing especially is a sticking point. Observers of the tough negotiations reported on Twitter on Saturday that the EU could take a step on London on the contentious issue. Barnier is said to have offered that the Community would reimburse the British for 25 per cent of the value of the fish caught by EU fishermen in British waters. That would be significantly more than has been discussed so far, but not as much as London demands.
Both sides are also preparing in the event that negotiations fail and tariffs and other trade barriers between the UK and the EU come into effect on January 1, 2021. A transition phase ends then. Britain already left the EU at the end of January, but will not leave the EU internal market and customs union until the end of the year.
The government is poorly prepared
The British government was ill-prepared, however, it criticized Parliament’s Brexit Committee in London. Decisions were made “too late” and communication with companies was “spotty at best,” according to a report published in London on Saturday.
Members of the Commission on Future Relations with the EU said MEPs are concerned about the state of readiness for the changes looming at the end of the year. In the report, the multi-party parliamentary body criticized the slow change of IT systems, for example in ports. Therefore, companies would have very little time to adapt to the new systems. A new infrastructure for customs and border controls in ports must also be built. The allocation of state funds for the work was done too slowly.
“Serious concerns”
Seven working days before the end of the transition period, there are still “serious concerns,” Labor MP Hilary Benn said. The government remains unable to reliably tell businesses and citizens “what will happen in all areas affected by the negotiations.”
On Friday, the European Parliament voted for emergency measures in the event of a no-deal Brexit. These are plans for the areas of fishing, air safety, and air and road traffic.
On the roads heading to the major English Channel port of Dover and the Eurotunnels, trucks got stuck for miles on Saturday. The reasons are the Christmas business and high demand for medical products in the corona pandemic, but also the increase in many stocks before the end of the Brexit transition phase. Trade associations have been criticizing clogged ports and high freight prices for weeks. Ships have already been turned away at some ports because there was no space to unload cargo.
