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Hopes for a last-minute Brexit trade deal between the EU and the UK took another hit last night with the two sides remaining “very far apart”.
Meetings over dinner in Brussels between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ended without any sign of progress.
Officials said contacts will continue over the next few days, and a new outer deadline has been set for Sunday.
Johnson, who traveled from London, met with Ms Von der Leyen last night for more than three hours, but then there were no signs of any progress on the three crucial issues still blocking a deal.
The prime minister’s office said that, in a “frank” meeting, the two leaders set Sunday as the deadline for deciding whether there will be a deal or a tumultuous no-deal split at the end of the month.
Ms Von der Leyen wrote on Twitter: “We had a lively and interesting discussion on the status of outstanding issues.
“We understand the positions of others. They remain very separate.
“The teams must meet again immediately to try to solve these problems.
“We will reach a decision at the end of the weekend.”
Previous Taoiseach Micheál Martin had warned that “we are on the verge of a no-deal” before the Brexit meeting.
He said it remains to be seen whether Johnson and von der Leyen can “salvage the situation” in their talks.
The comments came before Johnson’s arrival at the commission’s headquarters for the decisive dinner.
The main sticking points remain fisheries and the so-called level playing field provisions required by the EU for fair competition in the future EU-UK relationship.
Last night, Johnson tweeted a picture of himself getting on a plane to Brussels and said: “There is a lot to do.”
But he also insisted on the UK, “If we enter into trade agreements similar to Australia or Canada, the UK will powerfully prosper as an independent nation.”
An Australian deal is how your government is characterizing a no-deal collapse that would imply tariffs on goods and cause economic disruption.
Previously in the Dáil, Mr. Martin was challenged in fisheries by Cork South-West TD Michael Collins who asked: “Whose fish is Michel Barnier? [the EU’s negotiator] giving away in these negotiations? “
The Taoiseach said that the Irish government did not cause Brexit, it was a decision made by the British people recommended by their politicians and “in my opinion, it was the wrong move.”
He said there are implications for Irish fisheries, but: “If we didn’t have an agreement, it would be a worse outcome for our fisheries.”
Martin warned: “Now, right now, we are on the verge of a no-deal.
“It remains to be seen how the two directors can rescue the situation in their conversations. But it’s on the razor’s edge. It’s 50-50. “He said level playing field and fishing are” tough issues. “
Johnson was received into the commission by Mrs Von der Leyen at around 7pm Irish time. The chairman of the commission said “Allons-y”, which is French for “let’s go” when they came in for dinner and Johnson echoed the phrase.
The meeting was a final attempt by the two leaders to inject momentum into trade talks that have stalled as time runs out to reach an agreement that can be ratified before the end of the year.
EU leaders, including the Taoiseach, will meet today in Brussels for a European Council summit where an agreement between the EU and the UK was expected to be discussed.
But pessimism has grown this week about the chances of avoiding a British crisis in late December.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told a Fine Gael private meeting last night that efforts to reach an agreement were at stake “and there may be no progress last night.
However, he said that the deal agreed by the UK and the EU on Tuesday on the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol showed that the deal reached with former Prime Minister Theresa May three years ago had proven to be bulletproof.
Mr Varadkar said that there will be no firm borders in Ireland and that access to the European single market and common travel areas has been protected.
Online editors
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