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Britain’s foreign minister says negotiations on a trade deal with the European Union will come to a “final moment” this weekend, and both sides consider the chances of an agreement slim.
To prepare for a possible no-deal exit on January 1, the EU proposed on Thursday (local time) four contingency measures to ensure that air and road traffic can continue as smoothly as possible for the next six months.
It also proposes that fishermen will continue to have access to each other’s waters for up to one year, to limit commercial damage from a no-deal split. The plans depend on the UK offering similar initiatives.
Olivier Hoslet / AP
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been a key Brexit supporter.
“Our responsibility is to be prepared for all eventualities,” said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a three-hour dinner Wednesday in hopes of unlocking the stalled talks, but left without making substantial progress.
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“We understand the positions of others. They remain very separate, ”said von der Leyen.
They told their negotiators to keep talking, but set Sunday as the decision day.
Olivier Hoslet / AP
The two leaders met for dinner on Wednesday, but made no substantial progress toward a Brexit deal.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Sunday’s deadline set by Britain and the EU for a decision was final, adding that “you can never say never at all.”
Without a deal, the bloc and Britain face a tumultuous no-deal divide at the end of the month, threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in losses.
Britain left the EU on January 31, but remains in its economic structures until the end of the year.
That means a serious economic breakdown on January 1 that could be chaotic if there is no trade deal.
Aaron Chown / AP
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU must prepare for all eventualities, including a no-deal Brexit.
A no-deal split would bring tariffs and other barriers that would hurt both sides, although most economists believe that the British economy would be hit the hardest because the UK does almost half of its trade with the bloc.
Months of trade talks have failed to close the gaps on three issues: fishing rights, fair competition rules, and the governance of future disputes.
While both parties want a deal, they have fundamentally different views of what it entails.
Aaron Chown / AP
The chances of a Brexit deal between Britain and the EU appear slim.
The EU fears that Britain will lower social and environmental standards and inject state money into UK industries, becoming a low-regulation economic rival at the gates of the bloc, hence the demand for strict “level playing field” guarantees. in exchange for access to their markets.
The UK government sees Brexit as a matter of sovereignty and “regaining control” of the country’s laws, borders and waters.
He claims that the EU is trying to force Britain to the bloc’s rules indefinitely.
