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There is no certainty that a post-Brexit trade deal can be reached despite this week’s progress in negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, Foreign Minister Simon Coveney warned.
Mr. Coveney said that although a large amount of legal text had been agreed between the two parties, the outstanding issues would be the most difficult to resolve.
There is now “great pressure on both negotiating teams to find a way to close this out over the next week,” he said. “This process should move towards its conclusion, certainly in the next week to 10 days, and I think everyone realizes that now.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday there has been “better progress” and “more movement in important files” as the EU showed a more optimistic assessment of the talks.
However, Coveney said it had also been made clear to EU member states that “there is no certainty about the deal, neither from the point of view of time, nor whether an agreement will be concluded.”
“It is true that a lot of text has been agreed. As with any deal, the last 5 or 10 percent of the text is the hard part. Some of the issues that have prevented reaching an agreement in recent months still do not reach an agreement ”.
Friction points
Remaining issues include ensuring a level playing field after Brexit, finding a mechanism to address disputes and in relation to fisheries.
“We need something real about fair competition and a level playing field. We need a governance model that is credible, that can address disputes when they arise. And we need a fish deal.
“There is no way for the EU side or an Irish government to sell our fishing industry, and the UK is saying the same thing, and that’s understandable.
“Trying to find a way to come to an agreement on fish that both parties feel they can accept and live with can only happen in the context of reaching an agreement in other areas as well.”
Coveney said the EU wasn’t sure the UK was ready for a deal. “To be honest, we just don’t know yet whether the British prime minister has made the decision to instruct his chief negotiator to close this deal,” he said. “Or if they are still in the space of trying to test the EU to see what flexibilities they can get and what compromises are possible. That is a political decision by Boris Johnson. “
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