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EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned that any deal must not undermine the EU’s single market, in a pessimistic assessment of progress in post-Brexit trade talks.
“We will do everything in our power to reach an agreement, we are ready to be creative,” he told the European Parliament, warning that Britain must accept fair trade rules.
“But we are not prepared to question the integrity of the single market, the main safeguard for European prosperity and wealth,” said the President of the European Commission.
He reiterated Brussels’ warning that Britain will not enjoy the benefits of EU membership from abroad: “There will be a clear difference between being a full member of the Union and just being a valued partner.”
Ms Von der Leyen acknowledged the frustration of MEPs that they are running out of time to be able to debate and ratify any trade deal before Britain leaves the single market on January 1.
But he warned that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s tactics had demonstrated the need to agree on clear rules.
“We want to know what remedies are available in case one side deviates in the future because trust is good, but the law is better,” he said.
“Fundamentally, in light of recent experience, a strong governance system is essential to ensure that what has been agreed is actually agreed.”
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The British government has been reluctant to accept the EU’s vision of a post-Brexit “level playing field”, with trade sanctions if either side deviates from agreed standards.
Johnson also introduced a bill to govern the UK’s domestic market that his own government admits would violate promises made in Britain’s EU withdrawal treaty.
This has undermined confidence in Brussels, and the talks have passed several unofficial deadlines, leaving only a small window for a deal before the end of the year.
If a deal cannot be signed and ratified by December 31, inter-channel trade will face a tariff barrier and businesses on both sides, but especially, according to experts, in Britain will suffer.
Ms Von der Leyen paid tribute to her chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, who will emerge from the isolation imposed tomorrow after a member of his team contracted the coronavirus.
He will then return to London to resume face-to-face negotiations with his British counterpart, David Frost. The conversations have continued via video link.
The main areas of disagreement continue to be fishing rights, a level playing field, and the powers of the overall governance mechanism of the eventual agreement.
Here, Ms Von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s position long ago, but in harsher terms than usual, reflecting growing concern among her parliamentary audience that time has run out.
“Nobody questions the sovereignty of the United Kingdom in its own waters. But we ask for predictability and guarantees for the fishermen and women, who have been sailing in these waters for decades, if not centuries,” he said.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as I said, the next few days are going to be decisive. The European Union is well prepared for a no-deal scenario. But of course we prefer to have an agreement.”
All scenarios under consideration before the Brexit transition deadline: NI minister
All scenarios are being widely considered as the deadline for sealing a Brexit transition deal approaches, the UK government said.
Much thought has been given to the contingencies around Northern Ireland, but the priority is to reach an agreement with the EU by the end of the year, Northern Ireland Office Minister Robin Walker said.
Cross-border cooperation on police, security and criminal justice is an important factor for the authorities.
Mr. Walker said: “We are thinking about contingencies, we are thinking about what might be necessary in the event that we have not been able to achieve the preferred outcome of the negotiations.
“Our focus should be on achieving that mutually beneficial outcome.
“There has been a lot of thought about what we will have to do in all the scenarios.”
Walker was giving testimony to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of MPs in Westminster, addressing the extradition of suspected criminals across the Irish border and any alternative mechanisms.
Mark Larmour, a senior official at the Northern Ireland Office, said there is good cooperation between the authorities to combat organized crime, adding: “We have some confidence in the working relationship.”
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