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In the leaked European Council conclusions, capitals will say that there is a “concern that progress on key issues of concern to the Union is not yet sufficient to reach an agreement.” It comes after days of desperate bickering over a post-Brexit trade deal between Lord Frost and Michel Barnier ahead of Thursday’s summit. Boris Johnson has touted the meeting as the last possible moment to establish whether a deal is feasible or not.
Disputes over future access to Britain’s fishing grounds and a level playing field for state subsidy policy remain hot spots.
In a draft version of an EU leadership statement, they say: “The European Council reaffirmed the Union’s determination to have as close a partnership as possible with the UK on the basis of the February 29 negotiating directives. 2020.
“In this context, the European Council invited the main negotiator of the Union to intensify the negotiations with the aim of ensuring that an agreement can be implemented from 1 January 2021.”
The memorandum adds: “The European Council urges the Member States, the Union institutions and all stakeholders to intensify their preparatory and preparatory work at all levels and for all outcomes, including that of no agreement.” .
Johnson will discuss the week’s negotiations in a “follow-up” videoconference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen later today.
The prime minister told his cabinet yesterday that the British show that they are “not afraid” of a future without a Brexit trade deal.
But he said an agreement is still possible as negotiations reach a crucial stage.
Johnson noted that he would be happy to withdraw and adopt a deal similar to Australia’s no-deal relationship with the EU if the bloc sticks to its hardline demands for unchanged fishing quotas and continued regulatory meddling.
Reporting on the cabinet meeting, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “The prime minister said that Lord Frost is currently in Brussels trying to find a way, and he believes there is still an agreement to be made.”
“The prime minister reiterated that while we want an agreement on the right terms, if we cannot get there, we are ready and willing to move forward with an Australian-style result, which he is fearless.”
And British negotiators have blamed Barnier’s for the recent lack of progress in the talks.
A UK government source said: “The EU has been using the old playbook where they thought ticking the clock would work against the UK.
“They have assumed that the UK would be more willing to commit the longer the process dragged on, but in fact all these tactics have managed to get us into mid-October with a lot of wasted work.
“This is all the more frustrating because it is clear that we have come a long way since the beginning of the year. We have approached the negotiations constructively and reasonably, but the time is now extraordinarily short. We urgently need the EU to pick up the pace and inject some creativity. “
European industry leaders were also pushing for the bloc to accelerate its efforts to ensure companies have time to prepare for January 1, when the UK leaves the single market and the customs union.
A spokesperson for Ceemet, a European employers’ association, said: “The heavyweights of the manufacturing industry call on all parties involved to break the current deadlock, avoid a no-deal exit and ensure that our industrial sector has the necessary time. to adapt”.
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