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BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have set a Sunday deadline to make a decision on the future of the Brexit negotiations.
The decision follows a three-hour dinner between the two leaders in Brussels last night, with both parties still far from reaching a post-Brexit trade deal.
They also asked chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost to meet in the city today.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin flew to Brussels last night to participate in a two-day EU summit, where all 27 member states were originally expected to vote on a possible deal.
However, this vote will now not take place after negotiations stalled in recent days.
Von der Leyen is now expected to brief European leaders on the status of the negotiations.
Talks have failed on fishing rights, among other issues, “level playing field” measures designed to prevent the UK from undermining the EU in terms of state rules and subsidies, and how any deal will be governed .
Following last night’s meeting, a leading Downing Street source said it was “unclear” whether the differences between the two sides could be bridged.
A Downing Street spokesman also said that “any agreement must respect the independence and sovereignty of the United Kingdom.”
In a statement, Von der Leyen said the two sides should “meet immediately” to try to resolve the “essential problems”, but stressed that the positions remain “widely separated”.
He added that the UK and the EU “would reach a decision at the end of the weekend.”
It was hoped that progress at the political level between Johnson and von der Leyen could pave the way for more talks between Frost and Barnier.
But statements from both sides suggested that while further discussions would take place, no substantial move had been made on the key issues.
The outcome of the dinner was no surprise, as both parties had expressed pessimism before the meeting.
European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness said that statements made by Johnson and von der Leyen after a “lively and interesting” dinner last night provided a “ray of hope” because both sides seemed to understand each other’s positions.
In an interview with RTÉ’s Morning Ireland program, he also said that the level playing field had become “emotional” and that there was “a deal to be made.”
“I think that if you take some of the heat out of this discussion and look at the practical implications for companies and individuals of our failure to reach an agreement, I think that overall, a deal and an agreement are much more important,” said. said.
Also this morning, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky News that Johnson would “leave no stone unturned” in pursuing a deal, but said there was not “enough pragmatism and flexibility on the part of the EU”.
“We are not going to sacrifice the basic points of the democratic principle in fishing, in the control of our laws when we leave the transition period,” he said.
“I think it is important that it is recognized by the EU and, if they do, I think there is still room for an agreement.”
Integrity of the common market
Before leaving London, Johnson told MPs that no prime minister could accept the EU’s demands, although he insisted a trade deal was still possible.
That followed Barnier’s remarks to EU foreign ministers that he now believed a no-deal Brexit was more likely than a trade deal reached before Dec. 31.
In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was still a chance of reaching an agreement. But he warned: “We must not jeopardize the integrity of the common market.”
Only three weeks remain for the current transitional provisions to expire.
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If no deal is reached, tariffs will be imposed on UK exports to the EU, the country’s biggest trading partner, and it could also increase red tape.
European sources said the two men and their teams would return to talks this morning.
However, a deal agreed on Tuesday means that the Northern Ireland Protocol, which would mean that goods traveling from Great Britain to Ireland via the North will be verified after crossing the Irish Sea, can be implemented in practice.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland yesterday that Tuesday’s announcement was a “historic day” that would guarantee respect for protocol regardless of the outcome of trade talks.
Contains reports from the Press Association and © AFP 2020.
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