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- Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission Director Ursula von der Leyen again discussed a Brexit trade pact at noon.
- The talks will continue, as announced by both parties.
- It was worth going one more mile, Von der Leyen said.
Despite exhaustion after almost a year of negotiations and repeatedly missed deadlines, both believe that he is responsible for making one last effort, according to the joint statement. Negotiators have been instructed to continue negotiations. Initially no new deadline was mentioned. The EU ambassadors should meet in the afternoon, according to close circles.
Originally, a final decision was supposed to be made on Sunday on whether the EU’s negotiations with Britain on a trade pact would be broken or a deal would be finalized. Von der Leyen and Johnson agreed on this at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.
No deal Brexit looms
Negotiators on both sides then tried to advance on points that had been disputed for years. These are primarily issues related to fair competition and European fishermen’s access to British waters. There is also no consensus on the instruments that will be used to enforce the agreement.
Britain left the EU at the beginning of the year. There is still a transition period until the end of the year, during which almost everything will remain the same. If no trade pact has been agreed by then, there is a risk of high tariffs and other trade barriers. It is feared that the formalities and controls could temporarily paralyze traffic on the important ferry connection across the English Channel between Dover and Calais.
Time is of the essence
In theory, there would still be time for negotiations until shortly before the turn of the year. However, an agreement would have to be ratified or both parties would have to agree on a provisional application. However, the European Parliament is very critical of this.
British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab had already said Sunday morning on the British Sky News channel that it could not be ruled out that the talks could continue beyond Sunday if the EU makes progress on crucial points.
