UK-EU trade deal 'seems unlikely' says Michel Barnier

BRUSSELS -A post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the EU "seems unlikely" at this stage, the bloc's negotiator has said.

Speaking after the latest round of talks, Michel Barnier said he was "disappointed" and "concerned." His UK counterpart David Frost spoke of "little progress," amid differences on fisheries policy and state aid rules. The EU has said it would like to agree a deal by October so it can be approved by the European Parliament before the post-Brexit transition period expires. The transition period ends on December 31 and, if a deal has not been secured by then, the UK would have to trade with the EU on WTO (World Trade Organisation) terms. This means most UK goods would be subject to tariffs until a free trade deal was ready to be brought in. The UK has said it will not extend talks if an agreement cannot be reached by the December deadline. In a statement released after the seventh round of talks, Frost said the EU had made it "unnecessarily difficult" to make progress by insisting that differences over state aid and fisheries have to be resolved before "substantive work can be done in any other area of the negotiation, including on legal texts." In a bid to break the deadlock, the UK has presented the EU with a draft legal text for a free-trade agreement. Frost, who reports directly to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said the UK was seeking a deal which "ensures we regain sovereign control of our own laws, borders, and waters." Speaking at a press briefing in Brussels, Barnier accused the UK side of "wasting valuable time," suggesting the draft text was "useful" but downplaying its significance in reaching any agreement. "Too often this week it felt as if we were going backwards more than forwards," he said. The next round of talks is due to begin on September 7 in London. – BBC.