EU, U.K. admit big gaps linger in post-Brexit talks
BRUSSELS — The U.K. and the European Union provided sober updates Thursday on the state of post-Brexit trade discussions, with only two weeks to go before a potentially chaotic no-deal split.
While Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Union’s executive commission, noted “substantial progress on many issues,” she voiced concerns about the discussions taking place around fishing rights. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a no-deal outcome seems “very likely.”
The two spoke early Thursday evening, their latest in a series of conversations in the past couple of weeks aimed at unclogging the talks, which have moved at a snail’s pace since the U.K. left the EU on Jan. 31.
The U.K. remains within the EU’s tariff-free single market and customs union until Dec. 31. A failure to reach a deal would likely lead to chaos on the borders at the start of 2021 as tariffs and other impediments to trade are enacted by both sides. The talks have got bogged down on three main issues: the EU’s access to U.K. fishing waters, the level playing field to ensure fair competition between businesses, and the governance of any deal.
Following their latest conversation, Ms. von der Leyen warned that bridging big differences, in particular on fisheries, “will be very challenging.” Negotiations, she added, would go on Friday.
According to a statement from Mr. Johnson’s office, he stressed that “time was very short” and that it “now looked very likely that agreement would not be reached unless the EU position changed substantially.”
Earlier, the European Parliament issued a threeday ultimatum for a trade deal if it’s to be in a position to ratify an agreement this year. European lawmakers said they will need to have the terms of any deal in front of them by late Sunday if they are to organize a special gathering before year’s end.
If a deal comes later, it could be ratified only in 2021, as the body wouldn’t have time to debate it before that.
Britain’s Parliament must also approve the deal, and the Christmas break adds to the complications. Lawmakers are due to be on vacation from Friday until Jan. 5, but the government has said they can be called back to approve a deal if one is struck.