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“Since we only have 10 weeks until the end of the transition period, on January 1, I have to make an assessment of the possible outcome and prepare,” he said, in a previously recorded statement broadcast on British television.
Boris Johnson accused the EU of having “seriously refused to negotiate in recent months” and that the leaders of the 27 had ruled out, at the European Council held in Brussels, the possibility of an agreement similar to the one they made with Canada “.
“It concludes that we must prepare for, on January 1, terms that are more similar to Australia’s, based on simple principles of global free trade,” he said.
Australia does not have a full trade agreement with the EU.
The chief executive said he was willing to discuss “practical issues” such as social security, aviation, nuclear cooperation and left room for a “fundamental change” in the EU’s position to reach an agreement.
In the conclusions adopted during the Brexit summit, published on Thursday, the European Council “calls on Member States, European institutions and all stakeholders to increase preparedness at all levels and for all types of scenarios, including the ‘ no deal ‘ [cenário em que a UE e o Reino Unido não chegariam a um acordo comercial pós-‘Brexit’]”.
The document, published on the social network Twitter by the Council’s spokesperson, also affirms that the leaders of the 27 “note with concern that not enough progress has been made on central EU issues for an agreement to be reached” .
Inviting EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to “continue negotiations in the coming weeks”, the heads of state also call on the UK to “take the necessary steps to make a deal possible”.
“The European Council reaffirms the determination of the EU to maintain the closest possible association with the United Kingdom,” the conclusions stated.
British Brexit negotiator David Frost lamented Thursday that the EU statement did not propose to work “intensively” to reach an agreement on its future relationship with the United Kingdom, but his European counterpart Michel Barnier later said it would be available.
“I proposed to the British team that we negotiate intensively, in the short time we have left, to be able to reach, at the end of October, the agreement we all want,” said Michel Barnier.
At a press conference after the discussion of the leaders of the 27 – gathered in a summit that lasts until Friday – on the ‘Brexit’, Michel Barnier revealed that he will return to dialogue with his British counterpart, David Frost, starting Friday. and what will happen next week in London.
“Starting Monday, and for the entire following week, including the weekend, if necessary, I will be in London and the following week we will be in Brussels,” Barnier said.
The main points of contention continue to be the conditions of competition between companies, fisheries and a mechanism to resolve conflicts in the implementation of the agreement that the EU requires to unlock an agreement that allows British access to the European single market without imposing quotas or fees.
The UK left the European Union on January 31, 2020. According to the Withdrawal Agreement, it is now officially a third country, thus it no longer participates in the EU decision-making process.
However, by mutual agreement, the EU and the UK have decided to establish a transitional period, which ends on December 31, 2020.
