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The president of the European Commission has said that there is a narrow path to a post-Brexit trade deal.
Ursula von der Leyen told MEPs this morning: “I cannot tell you if there will be a [Brexit] I try or not, but I can tell you that there is a way to an agreement. The path may be very narrow, but it is there. “
The chairman of the commission said that there is a responsibility on both sides to continue negotiating and that despite the fact that an agreement has been reached on most issues, “this is now a case of being so close and yet to be so far from each other. “
With less than three weeks to go until the transitional period is over and EU legislation will cease to exist in the UK, negotiators are still working on the twin issues of a level playing field, or fair competition, and fisheries.
Ms Von der Leyen said that outstanding issues around governance, or how to resolve disputes, “have been largely resolved.”
“As it is, I cannot tell you if there will be an agreement or not. But I can tell you now that there is a path to an agreement. The path may be very narrow, but it is there,” President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen to the European Parliament. #brexit pic.twitter.com/nnbvWRj2FY
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 16, 2020
He said the “architecture” of a level playing field solution was based on the twin pillars of state subsidies and how both sides will address the issue of labor, social and environmental standards.
He said that both parties had made progress in state aid based on common principles, guarantees of national application and the possibility of remedying the situation “autonomously” when necessary.
This would imply that both parties could take action through tariffs or other measures if there were trade distortions.
She told the European Parliament: “We have agreed on a strong non-regression mechanism. That is a big step forward, this is to ensure that our common high labor, social and environmental standards are not undermined.”
Ms Von der Leyen said that fishing is still “very difficult”.
“In all honesty, it sometimes feels like we won’t be able to resolve this issue, but we must keep trying to find a solution, and it is the only responsible and correct course of action.
“We do not question the sovereignty of the United Kingdom in its own waters, but we ask for predictability and stability for our fishermen and our fisherwomen.
The chairman of the committee called on the European Parliament to show flexibility in the coming days, given the possible difficulties in ratifying a treaty in time.
“The next few days are going to be decisive. I know I have said this before and I know that deadlines have been missed time and time again. The clock puts us all in a very difficult situation, in particular this parliament and its right to exercise a democratic scrutiny and ratification, “he said.
A UK source told Reuters that progress had been made, but the two sides remained widely separated in key areas.
Mrs Von der Leyen and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, were among those who spoke in the European Parliament this morning. MEPs are debating the results of the EU summit on December 10-11.
The main topics on the agenda were the EU’s long-term budget, the recovery package, the Covid-19 vaccine and the 2030 target to combat climate change.
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