PM frustrated as EU talks slow ahead of summit
EU leaders are to take stock of the talks with the UK on a postBrexit trade deal amid "frustration" in London at the slow progress.
Ahead of the latest European Unioin summit in Brussels, Boris Johnson voiced his "disappointment" that they had not been able to move forward more quickly.
The Prime Minister had previously said that he would walk away from the negotiations unless there was agreement by the time of the twoday gathering in the Belgian capital, starting Thursday.
However in a call with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel on Wednesday evening, he said he would "reflect" on the outcome of the summit before making a decision.
Meanwhile, Mrs von der Leyen and Mr Michel again reiterated that while the EU still wanted a deal, it could not be at "any price".
Following the call a No 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister noted the desirability of a deal, but expressed his disappointment that more pro - gress had not been made.
"The Prime Minister said that he looked forward to hearing the outcome of the European Council and would reflect before setting out the UK'S next steps in the light of his statement of September 7."
Mrs von der Leyen said they were continuing to work on a deal, but that the "conditions must be right" if there was to be an agreement.
"The EU is working on a deal, but not at any price. Still a lot of work ahead of us," she tweeted.
She was forced to pull out of the EU summit after a member of her staff tested positive for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron has warned Boris Johnson he will not allow French fishermen to be "sacrificed" for the sake of a post-brexit trade deal between Britain and the EU.
Arriving in Brussels, Mr Macron warned he was pre - pared to see talks with the UK collapse if the "right terms" cannot be agreed.
All sides have acknowledged that the question of future fishing rights once the current Brexit transition period ends remains among the most difficult issues to be resolved. Mr Macron said: "Under any circumstance, our fishermen should not be sacrificed for Brexit. If these conditions are not met, it's possible we won't have a deal."
Irish premier Micheal Martin also emphasised the importance of securing a satisfactory agreement on fishing if there was to be an overall trade deal.
Earlier this month, Mr Johnson and Mrs von der Leyen agreed to" intensify" ne gotiations in a final push for a wide-ranging agreement covering Britain' s relationship with the EU when the current Brexit transition period end sat the end of the year. However, the EU side has been resisting efforts by the British side to impose a tight deadline in an attempt to force through an agreement. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Some pro - gress has been made this week, primarily in technical areas of the negotiations, but there are still differences, with fisherie sbeingt he starkest. We need to get the substance settled and not having a common text to work from has made progress doubly difficult .”