PM demands round-the-clock Brexit talks
BORIS JOHNSON will delay a decision on whether to quit the Brexit trade negotiations until after the European Council summit ends tomorrow, as it became clear that his no-deal deadline would be missed today.
The Prime Minister spoke to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and Charles Michel, the European Council president, last night.
He warned that the EU had to agree to round-the-clock talks or he would carry out his no- deal threat, which would mean trading on WTO terms.
Mrs von der Leyen said after the call: “The EU is working on a deal, but not at any price. Conditions must be right, on fisheries, level-playing field and governance. Still a lot of work ahead of us.” Mr Michel urged Mr Johnson to “move forward, find solutions and negotiate in good faith.”
EU leaders will hold their first full debate on Brexit this year at today’s summit. Each of the 27 leaders is expected to speak during discussions predicted to last for hours. A senior EU diplomat said: “What we want to show is we are willing and ready, once the UK moves, to work really hard to conclude a deal.”
France has vowed its fishermen will not be sacrificed to get the deal but has signalled it could compromise if their access to the Channel is protected.
Berlin yesterday increased pressure on EU fishing nations. A government source said: “If there is no deal then the EU quota will be zero ... it’s politically sensitive but technically feasible.”
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “There are still differences, with fisheries being the starkest. We need to get substance settled.” In September, Mr Johnson set a deadline of today’s EU summit in Brussels for the trade deal to be “in sight”.
David Frost, the UK’S chief negotiator, told Mr Johnson that a deal could still be done by the EU’S deadline of the end of the month, but only if negotiators met every day for detailed talks on the basis of legal texts.
No common legal texts have yet been exchanged and “landing zones” on areas closer to agreement have not been put to paper.
Negotiators are struggling to agree a system that would allow the future UK
‘We want to show we are willing and ready, once the UK moves, to work really hard to conclude a deal’
and current EU subsidy law regimes to develop together over time in a way that guarantees fair competition.
One senior EU diplomat likened finding the solution to convincing a reluctant child to eat his vegetables.
There are also differences over enforcement. The UK is anxious about the EU’S demand for a dispute resolution system that cuts across the future relationship. Brussels insists robust governance is vital after the UK’S controversial Internal Market Bill.
David Jones, the former Brexit minister, suggested Mr Johnson was willing to repudiate more of the Withdrawal Agreement in a similar way to the Bill.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, he said: “The Government understands that the Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol frustrate the referendum result and have the potential to impede the full delivery of Brexit.”
Flights between the UK and EU could be grounded under a no deal because the EC has not yet offered any emergency connectivity plans, Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, admitted.