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Negotiations for a trade deal between the European Union and the UK are in the “crucial last hours” as a final effort is made to break the deadlock on fish, Michel Barnier said.
The EU’s top negotiator told the European Parliament that it was unclear whether an agreement would be reached in time for it to take effect on January 1 and avoid a widespread disruption and tariffs on trade.
“It is the moment of truth. We have very little time left, just a few hours … If we want this agreement to go into effect on January 1, ”said Mr. Barnier.
“There is a possibility of reaching an agreement, but the path to that agreement is very narrow.”
“Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, so it is not surprising that with these last hours at our disposal we see that the negotiations have become extremely difficult. We have come to the hard nuts to crack, ”he added.
Talks resumed in Brussels with Barnier’s UK counterpart David Frost to give a final push, after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged that there were salient differences in a phone call and instructed the negotiators to make one last attempt. .
The European Parliament has set a Sunday deadline for reaching an agreement, warning that it cannot ratify an agreement in time for it to take effect on January 1 if it arrives later than that date.
One of the “main hurdles” in the talks is whether the EU could retaliate if, after an expected period of adjustment, Britain cuts EU fishing vessels’ access to UK waters in the future. The EU wants the deal to state that it can react by introducing new barriers to UK trade, particularly in fish products, should that happen.
“On a personal basis, I do not think it is fair or acceptable that European fishermen after a transition period are not allowed to have access to those waters when the rest of the agreement, especially applicable to companies, would remain stable. That wouldn’t be fair, that wouldn’t be honest, ”Barnier said.
The EU has tried to agree ambitious social and environmental standards with the UK to ensure fair competition between companies. Agreement has been reached in a number of areas of security and cooperation, including extradition and the sharing of information on criminals, but this depended on the UK’s commitments to human rights and the protection of personal data, Barnier said.
“It is obvious that we are fighting for an agreement, but it is also obvious that this is not an agreement that we are prepared to sign at any cost,” he added.
“I cannot say what will come during this last stretch of the negotiations, we have to be prepared for all eventualities.”
If an agreement cannot be reached in time for its implementation on January 1, future talks should be had with the UK because it is a large and closely connected neighboring country, Barnier said.
“A country with which in any way or form we have to reach an agreement. If it is not today because we did not reach an agreement, it will have to be later and, nevertheless, there will be strong ties, “he said. “We are in a very serious and dark situation.”
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