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Thursday 10 December 2020
“Doesn’t mean it’s bad”
Johnson: “High probability” of a no-deal Brexit
Is it another tactical move or an admission of failure? British Prime Minister Johnson has minimized expectations of a deal with the EU. Now there should be a decision for Sunday. But both parties are preparing for Brexit without a deal.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is lowering expectations for a trade deal between the UK and the European Union. There is a high probability that a deal will not be reached after his country leaves the EU, Johnson said. “There is now a high probability that we will get a solution similar to Australia’s relationship with the EU, and not similar to the relationship between Canada and Europe,” Johnson said. “That doesn’t mean it’s bad.”
According to the BBC, he told reporters that his negotiators were willing to “go the extra mile.” You are also prepared to travel to Paris or Berlin. However, he called on businesses and the public to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.
The previous day, a meeting between Johnson and the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, did not produce a breakthrough. The sticking points are the competition rules and fishing rights. The positions are “still very far apart,” von der Leyen said after a three-hour dinner with Johnson. Both parties set a deadline until Sunday. Then it must be decided whether a trade agreement is possible for the period from January 2021.
The EU publishes emergency laws
But the EU is already preparing for the worst case scenario for the economy: a hard break at the end of the year, without clarifying future relations between them. The Brussels authority has published emergency laws in case there is no trade deal on January 1.
“Negotiations are still ongoing,” von der Leyen said. But there is no guarantee that a trade agreement will go into effect on time. “It is our responsibility to be prepared for any eventuality.” His authority’s plans are supposed to alleviate “some of the major disruptions” in air and road traffic, for example.
Without a timely agreement, some sectors would be particularly affected, the EU Commission said. For air and road traffic between Great Britain and the mainland, therefore, the special rules should initially apply for six months, “provided the UK decides the same.” The same applies to the fishing sector, here until the end of next year for now. Some EU countries asked the Commission weeks ago to publish emergency laws. The EU Parliament and member states have yet to pass emergency laws.
The UK government said it would closely examine the emergency laws. However, Downing Street reacted with extreme caution, especially when it comes to the fishing sector. A Johnson spokesman said Britain wanted to regain full “control” of British waters as of January 1. The government will “never” accept agreements “that are incompatible with our status as an independent coastal state.” In the morning, the main negotiators of the EU and Great Britain, Michel Barnier and David Frost, had resumed the negotiations.
Britain officially left the EU at the end of January, of which the Kingdom had been a member since 1973. The transition phase ends on December 31, during which time Britain has yet to apply EU rules.
