No significant progress in latest Brexit trade, security talks between UK and EU

A FOURTH round of stuttering negotiations between the UK and Brussels on a post-Brexit trade and security deal ended on June 5 with both sides saying there had been no significant progress.

British prime minister Boris Johnson is insisting that “defects” in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, dating back to negotiations conducted by his predecessor, Theresa May and her chief negotiator Olly Robbins, be “fixed”, according to the Express newspaper.

A source close to David Frost, the UK prime minister’s Europe adviser and chief negotiator for the talks on the country’s future relationship with the EU, is cited as claiming the deal penned in January has “unfair defects”.

While Johnson’s government did not have time to remedy the failings, Britain claims the source is now bringing the contentious issues to the negotiating table.

A government source was quoted as saying: “Unfortunately we couldn’t fix every defect with the Withdrawal Agreement last autumn – we had to prioritise abolishing the backstop and getting Brexit done in the face of a parliament that was trying to stop us.

“We’ll now have to do our best to fix it but we’re starting with a clear disadvantage.”

As an example of the “defects”, sources cite a problem over geographical indications (GIs), used to identify a product as originating in a particular country or region.

The product’s quality, reputation and other characteristics are connected to its geographical origin. This refers to such iconic items as Scottish whisky and salmon.

As EU GIs are protected in the Withdrawal Agreement, while UK GIs are not, the UK negotiating team has suggested proposals seeking to achieve a more balanced arrangement.

Amid accusations levelled at Brussels for “dragging its feet” over negotiations and imposing unfair demands on the UK (such as the contentious issue of access to its fishing waters and forcing the country to accept EU laws and the jurisdiction of the European Court), former cabinet minister Owen Paterson, chairman of the Centre for Brexit Policy think tank, was quoted as saying: “The EU continues to make ridiculous demands that it has never asked from other third countries when negotiating free trade agreements with them.

“It hasn’t got its head round the fact that we are an independent country.”