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Talks on a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU are expected to continue into the evening, with the bloc’s top negotiator staying in London.
Michel Barnier did not return home on Friday morning as some expected, and a briefing he was supposed to hold for EU diplomats was canceled.
The negotiations are said to be in a “critical phase” and are likely to resume later tonight, with Barnier expected to stay in London for now.
Multiple deadlines for a deal have come and gone
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Friday afternoon that he expected talks to continue into the weekend, adding that he “fervently” hoped there would be a deal.
“Some countries are pushing … for additional information,” he said.
“We have appointed a negotiating team. We have to give them the space to conclude these talks and hopefully reach an agreement.”
Number 10 and the European Commission declined to confirm whether the talks are likely to continue through the weekend.
It comes after Sky News was told that Thursday’s talks “did not go well”, after several nights this week in which negotiations dragged on late into the night.
The pressure continues, with less than a month to go when the UK will either fall into a no-deal trade relationship with the EU or enter a new relationship.
The UK’s new relationship with the EU will start on January 1, 2021
The UK left the EU on January 31, 2020, but is in a “transition period” for the rest of the year and has followed many of the same rules and maintained the benefits of membership in addition to political representation.
That was designed to limit disruptions, meaning citizens and businesses only had to prepare for a change on January 1, 2021.
But both sides said they wanted these negotiations to end in mid-October, and constant talks about a pressing deadline have pushed the discussions to the brink.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s deputy spokesman has admitted that “time is very tight” and “we are at a very difficult time in the talks.”
The UK continues to comply with most EU rules during the transition period.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, did not even set a deadline for December 10, when EU leaders will meet for a summit, when a journalist asked him if that was the last point that could be reached. agreement.
“It is unfortunate that it has taken longer than planned, but we are still negotiating and Michel Barnier is leading the negotiations, so we will see in the next few days what the next steps are,” he said in a briefing on Friday.
The issue negotiating concern this week is believed to have been the EU’s demand for what is known as a “level playing field”.
This is the issue of subsidies and state rules that could seriously affect competition after the transition is complete.
Barnier had planned to brief 27 national envoys to Brussels on Friday by videoconference, but the group’s spokesman, Sebastian Fischer, confirmed that the meeting will not continue “due to the intense negotiations underway in London.”
He added: “Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned!”
