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On Thursday evening, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a conference call to “discuss the state of affairs in the ongoing negotiations,” as stated in a statement. from Johnson’s office.
After the conversation, von der Leyen stated on Twitter that “great difficulties persist, mainly regarding fisheries issues,” Reuters reports.
At the same time, he wrote that “significant success” had been achieved in several areas.
The british side He declared after the talks that we have very little time and that now it is “very likely that there will be no agreement, unless Brussels significantly changes its negotiating position.”
Hours earlier, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, according to sources at the European Parliament’s AFP news agency, said it was “difficult, but not impossible” to reach an agreement on Friday on a comprehensive trade and cooperation agreement with UK.
However, officially Barnier was more cautious. Good progress, but the last obstacles remain. We will only approve an agreement that protects the interests and principles of the EU, “he wrote on Twitter after informing the leader of the European Parliament group about the situation.
On Friday morning, the ambassadors of the EU countries will also receive the latest news from Barnier.
The European Parliament wants Negotiators reach the finish line no later than the weekend.
Parliament “is prepared to organize an additional session towards the end of December, if an agreement is reached before midnight on Sunday, December 20,” reads a joint statement by the Parliament’s group leader, urging the European Commission to provide members with the provisional texts produced.
As early as Friday, the European Parliament is expected to put in place the emergency measures developed by the European Commission to guarantee at least air and truck transport and continued fishing, even if there is no major agreement on Brexit.
To emergency measures Of course, running requires the UK to say yes too.
Before Johnson and von der Leyen held their conference call, Deputy Prime Minister Michael Gove spoke to Reuters. He then explained that London has a “positive view” of the proposals, although no decision has yet been made.
At the same time, Gove described the likelihood that there would actually be a bigger deal with the EU by “less than 50 percent.”
“Unfortunately, I think it is more likely that we will not reach an agreement,” he told a committee in the British Parliament.
