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BRUSSELS: The EU has rejected the UK’s latest offer on fishing, but is ready to seek a post-Brexit trade deal even beyond the end of the year, diplomats said on Tuesday (December 22).
According to sources at a meeting of ambassadors, EU negotiator Michel Barnier said he could not guarantee that there would be an agreement but that the “door to the EU will remain open”.
Britain must leave the EU single market at midnight on December 31, with or without a deal.
The only way for any agreement to enter into force before that date is if member states agree to apply it provisionally, pending the approval of the EU parliament.
Britain has rejected the idea of continuing the talks next year.
“EU negotiators are now in one last push to move forward and achieve a mutually acceptable deal,” Barnier said, according to several European diplomats.
“The EU will not close its doors to the UK and remains ready to negotiate even beyond January 1.”
According to diplomats, Britain had suggested that the EU’s access to the UK’s fish stocks be reduced by 35 percent, gradually over three years.
The EU had suggested a level of 25 percent and more than six years.
But, crucially, the British offer did not include “pelagic fish”, those that swim freely off the coast or the seabed, and it has not referred to inshore fishing at all.
If the loss of access to pelagic species is included, the EU would lose 60 percent of its current catch, they said.
“In other words, quite outside the mandate of the EU negotiator,” said an EU source, adding: “Barnier has not asked to change his mandate.”
Member states with northern fishing fleets like France, Denmark and the Netherlands are the strongest on fishing, but the EU remains united overall, the sources said.
In addition to fish, members are concerned about the UK’s attempts to set time limits on some rules to ensure fair competition in business and regulate state subsidies.
“Progress has been made. Most of the issues are preliminarily closed or close to being agreed,” said another diplomat, recounting Barnier’s briefing to EU ambassadors.
“However, the differences in the fisheries remain difficult to bridge. Unfortunately, the UK is not moving enough yet to get a fair deal in the fisheries.”
FAIR TRADE
Before addressing the closed-door meeting, Barnier told reporters: “We are really at the crucial moment and we are giving it the final push.”
“In 10 days the UK will leave the single market and I will continue working.”
EU envoys welcomed this, but one cautioned: “Barnier was unable to tell member states if there would be a deal tomorrow, before Christmas, New Years or summer 2021.”
“Also, a narrow road could end up as a dead end,” he said.
A colleague from another member state suggested that if there was no progress on Wednesday, the talks could resume next week.
If Barnier and his British counterpart David Frost fail, the UK will leave without a subsequent trade deal.
Tariffs would be reimposed on trade through the food and goods channel, compounding the economic impact of a return to a customs border after 47 years of integration.
On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen launched a crisis call to discuss Brexit talks, but failed to move forward.
TRAVEL PROHIBITION
The last minute talks have also been overshadowed by the rapid crisis over the new strain of coronavirus found in London.
Amid reports that the new strain could spread faster than previous ones, 40 countries in Europe and around the world cut travel links to Britain.
The EU is struggling to find a coordinated response after inter-channel traffic came to a halt when France closed the entry of passengers and goods.
The ambassadors of the 27 members of the bloc were seeking to work out a joint plan to allow the cargo to start moving again and for EU citizens to return home.
The Von der Leyen Commission has recommended that blanket bans be lifted to allow essential passenger travel and freight shipments to resume.
And France said Tuesday it would begin easing measures at the border.
