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Brexit negotiations on a trade deal resume in a crucial week, as talks emerged on the issue of the EU’s access to British fishing waters that have made no progress since the summer.
As the two sides re-engaged in the turbulent discussions, less than seven weeks from the end of the transition period, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the negotiations were “not in a good place” on rights. fishing.
“We are really in the last week 10 days from this, if there is no breakthrough over the next week 10 days, then I think we are really in trouble and the focus will shift to preparing for a no-trade agreement and all the disruption. what that brings, “he said.
“I think the British government understands very well what is required for a deal this week, the real question is whether the political appetite is there to do it. I think we will [get a deal], that’s been my prediction for a while, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it all fell apart. “
Outstanding issues remain the level of access to UK waters provided to EU fishing fleets, fair competition rules for companies, including rules on domestic subsidies, and the final treaty mechanism to resolve future disputes. .
UK chief negotiator David Frost tweeted on Sunday that there has been “some progress in a positive direction in recent days.” But he insisted that his negotiating position on the most contentious issues would not be softened in light of the departure of Boris Johnson’s senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, a former campaign manager for Vote Leave.
It is understood that common ground is being found in the form of an agreement on how both parties will regulate household subsidies. But there is no agreement on a mechanism to maintain similar grassroots environmental, labor and social standards in the coming years. The UK insists that it will not abide by the Brussels regulation.
The Internal Market Bill aims to enforce compatible rules and regulations with regard to trade in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Some rules, for example around food safety or air quality, which were previously set by EU agreements, will now be controlled by delegated administrations or Westminster. The domestic market bill insists that decentralized administrations must accept goods and services from all UK nations, even if their standards differ locally.
This, the government says, is in part to ensure that international traders have access to the UK as a whole, relying on the standards and rules to be consistent.
The Scottish government has criticized it as a Westminster “takeover”, and the Welsh government has expressed fear that it will lead to a race to the bottom. If one of the countries that make up the United Kingdom lowers its standards, for example, on the import of chlorinated chicken, the other three nations will have to accept chlorinated chicken as well.
It has become even more controversial because one of its main goals is to empower ministers to pass regulations even if they are contrary to the withdrawal agreement reached with the EU under the Northern Ireland protocol.
The text does not disguise its intention, stating that the powers contained in the bill “have effect without prejudice to any relevant international or national law with which they may be incompatible or incompatible.”
The bill passed its first hurdle in parliament by 77 votes, despite rebellion from some Conservative MPs. Two clauses were removed on November 9 after the government’s defeat in the House of Lords. The government declared that it intended to reintroduce them.
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Coveney particularly emphasized the danger posed by the fishing rights issue of blowing up negotiations despite its comparatively small economic value.
“It is much more emotional and frankly much more political,” he said. “What the British government has promised to its fishing industry, in the face of the EU’s Michel Barnier negotiating mandate, is a very, very wide gap.”
He continued: “Not good… the negotiations are not in a good place when it comes to fishing. There really hasn’t been any success in closing the gap between each side’s positions and until we find a way to do that there won’t be a deal, so we’re in the same place in fishing as they were mid-summer.
“Neither side has really moved from its position, minor concessions have been discussed on both sides, but it hasn’t really moved anywhere.”
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier had hoped to provide a positive progress report to the bloc’s 27 heads of state in a video conference on Thursday, but the schedule appears to be slowing down.
High-level MEPs have insisted that the European Parliament needs at least three weeks to analyze any agreement before a vote on ratification. A vote has been scheduled for December 16, but sources said an extraordinary parliamentary session could be announced for December 28.
