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In the dispute over the Brexit trade pact, a personal meeting at the highest level should bring the breakthrough. British Prime Minister Johnson plans to travel to Brussels soon to speak with the President of the EU Commission, von der Leyen.
In the face of stalled negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now traveling to Brussels in person. As announced by a spokesperson in London, the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will meet there “in the next few days”. Both had previously stated that the conditions for an agreement were no longer met.
Time is running out
Johnson and von der Leyen had called again Monday night to discuss the future of the talks. Following a joint statement, they asked their chief negotiators to “draw up an overview of the remaining differences that will be discussed personally in the coming days.”
Britain left the EU on February 1. However, it will remain in the EU internal market and in the customs union until the end of the year. In fact, both parties wanted to use this transition phase to negotiate a trade agreement. The talks have barely advanced for months. Meanwhile, the time for a timely ratification of a possible agreement before January 1 is extremely short.
Fight for fishing
In the morning, EU negotiator Michel Barnier made clear during internal briefings that there had been little progress in the most recent round of negotiations, even in the most recent round of negotiations, which began on Sunday. The main points of contention in the negotiations remain a level playing field, control of a future agreement and the fishing rights of EU fishermen in UK waters. In some countries, such as France, the issue of fishing is particularly important. Therefore, Paris had even threatened to veto a possible deal.
But the parties also disagree when it comes to fair competition and rules to punish violations of the agreement. The EU has offered the UK free trade in goods without tariffs or quantity restrictions. In return, however, it demands the same environmental or social standards and subsidy rules.
Without a trade agreement, there are tariffs and other trade barriers. Despite the extensive stalemate in negotiations, the EU side insisted on the possibility of a deal on Monday. The British side was ready to continue talking before the phone call.
