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There has been some progress in one area of the Brexit talks, but disagreements persist on other issues, according to reports, EU negotiator Michel Barnier has said.
A senior EU diplomat, quoted by the Reuters news agency, said that the bloc’s chief negotiator had told ambassadors that there had been “limited” progress on agreeing an enforcement mechanism to ensure both sides. comply with the terms of Brexi agreement.
But they said there are still differences in state aid and fisheries, and that the two sides have grown further apart on the latter.
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Are we closer to a Brexit deal?
Barnier was said to be “cautious” about the prospects of reaching a trade deal before the end of the transition period on December 31, while an EU diplomat told Reuters his main conclusion from the briefing: “The patient is still alive … but keep funeral home on speed dial. “
EU and UK have agreed to “go the extra mile” and continue discussions on a trade agreement before the end of the transition.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a joint statement after what they called a “useful” phone call on Sunday.
Johnson and von der Leyen said they “discussed the main unresolved issues” and that “despite the exhaustion” of many months of talks and multiple missed deadlines, it was “responsible” to continue trying to break the deadlock.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma told Sky News: “The state of the negotiations, as the prime minister said yesterday, is that we will continue to discuss.
“Of course, we are separated on certain issues, but as the prime minister said, we don’t want to walk away from these talks.”
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UK ‘should still prepare to trade on WTO terms’
Sharma added that any agreement “has to respect the fact that we are a sovereign country, an independent country and that is the basis on which we will make a deal if there is a deal to be made.”
Speaking on Sunday, the prime minister said: “We are still very far apart on some key issues … but we are going to keep talking to see what we can do.”
But Johnson continued to warn that a no-deal Brexit remained the most likely scenario.
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Negotiators ‘will continue talks’ on Brexit
He said the UK should prepare for the breakdown of the talks, which will result in tariffs under the terms of the World Trade Organization (WTO) starting on January 1, a move that is expected to cost jobs, make workers Food prices rise and wipe £ 45bn from the economy.
Speaking to Sky News, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin remained optimistic.
“I do not underestimate the difficulties and challenges faced by both groups of negotiators,” he said. “But in my opinion, if there is a will, there is a way, and I think it is very important that they do everything possible to get an agreement.”
