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Britain is demanding that the European Union bring “new ideas” to the post-Brexit trade deal talks and grant fishing rights ahead of what Downing Street said could be the last week of negotiations.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier was in London this weekend to speak with his British counterpart David Frost, but Downing Street said there was a lot to do at the last minute.
Progress is understood to have been made in many areas, but significant gaps are said to remain in the EU’s access to UK fishing waters when the transition period ends on December 31.
Reports last week suggested that Barnier recently said the EU could accept a 15-18% cut in its share of fishing rights in UK waters, but British officials were said to immediately reject the offer.
A government source said: “These figures are laughable, and the EU knows very well that we would never accept it.
“It appears that the Commission has failed to internalize the scale of change needed as we become an independent nation.”
The government has repeatedly said that it is willing to leave the transition period without a deal if the EU does not move, and talks have been stalled for months on fishing rights and other issues.
They include the governance of any agreement and “level playing field” conditions designed to prevent unfair competition by lowering standards or increasing state subsidies.
But ahead of what Number 10 said could be the last week of talks, a source close to the negotiations said: “In the next few days we will continue to negotiate with creativity and intensity.
“We hope that the EU will come up with new ideas because what we have seen so far is not enough. They must understand that we are not going to sell our sovereignty ”.
Barnier arrived in London on Friday night and told reporters that he would continue to work with “patience and determination” to reach an agreement.
Face-to-face negotiations came to a halt earlier this month after one of the EU team members tested positive for coronavirus, but in-person discussions resumed on Saturday morning.
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