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The POST-BREXIT TRADE talks between the EU and the UK remain stalled this morning with the risk of a no-deal scenario still a possibility.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart David Frost worked late into the night on talks in Brussels on Sunday as they sought to close a deal after eight months of intense talks.
Barnier briefed the ambassadors of the EU member states at a crisis meeting before dawn, after talks with Frost broke down.
Negotiations resumed yesterday in Brussels after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave the green light to resume talks during a phone call on Saturday.
Both sides hope to establish a trade relationship without tariffs and zero quotas in the hope of avoiding major disruptions from January 1.
Discussions to reach a trade deal are entering their final days, and both sides hope to overcome significant differences.
The main obstacles have been the same in recent months: the “level playing field” provisions, a dispute mechanism and fishing.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said last night that he was not “too optimistic” about a breakthrough in the Brexit talks, saying he was “50-50” on a deal that was being reached.
Barnier and Frost are expected to continue talking through Monday, and Von der Leyen and Johnson are expected to speak on the phone again later today.
That appeal could now end the dialogue.
Negotiations continue ahead of an EU summit on Thursday, when any agreement, or failure to find one, will be presented to the leaders of the 27 member states.
Any of the leaders of the EU member states can veto a final trade deal.
A source close to the talks told AFP news agency that the situation was “very difficult” and that the negotiations are in their “last useful days.”
“We are on a very narrow path and it is impossible to predict the outcome,” the source said.
Others indicated that the more difficult question was how to ensure fair trade in future ties and establish a quick sanction mechanism if either party backtracked on environmental or health standards.
Britain is reluctant to accept a comprehensive and binding deal, seeing it as a violation of its sovereignty after 47 years of EU membership.
“In essence, if the talks fail now, the two sides could not agree on what constitutes foul play and what to do about it,” said an EU diplomat.
Without a deal, tariffs would apply to the huge volumes of trade that pass between the UK and Europe starting in 2021.
Travelers between the two sides would also be affected by further delays in passports and red tape for residents and foreign businesses.
Micheál Martin insisted that “a no-deal would be very damaging to all concerned, to the UK, to the Irish economy and also to the economies of the member states.”
“It is very, very important that common sense prevails here and that a deal is made,” he added, pointing to Thursday’s summit as a critical moment.
Meanwhile, France is seen as the most reluctant to compromise among the EU states, taking the hardest line against the UK, especially when it comes to fishing rights and the preservation of fair trade rules.
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For the second time in three days, the country’s European minister, Clement Beaune, warned yesterday that France could veto an agreement if French interests are not protected.
The warning was seen as aimed at both Britain and EU partners that Paris fears are too soft on London, especially Germany.
Contains reports by Gráinne Ní Aodha and © AFP 2020.
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