EU’s Barnier in London to resume post-Brexit talks
Michel Barnier, the EU’s Brexit negotiator, said he was happy to be back in London on Sunday and that work on a trade deal with the UK would continue.
The chief negotiators, Mr Barnier and David Frost, resumed talks in London to redouble their efforts yesterday, Downing Street said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a trade deal with the bloc was “there to be done”.
After months of negotiations on an agreement to protect trade from quotas and tariffs, the two sides still faced significant differences on two points.
Disagreements on guarantees for fair competition, especially over state aid rules and fisheries, have dogged the talks since Britain left the EU in January.
Each side called on the other to compromise on an agreement during increasingly ill-tempered exchanges that have underlined a lack of trust, especially after the British government undermined parts of an earlier deal.
Any deal should be agreed on by the middle of the month to allow for ratification, with some businesses hoping that time pressure and a resurgent coronavirus across much of Europe will focus minds and avoid disruption at the end of the year.
The Brexit transition period is to end on December 31, after which the two parties will trade on World Trade Organisation terms, bringing in tariffs on many goods if a deal is not reached.
“I’ve always been a great enthusiast for a trade deal with our European friends and partners,” Mr Johnson said.
“The broad outlines are pretty clear. We just need to get on and do it if we can.
“I said that to [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen just yesterday – and she totally agrees with me.”
UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab told the BBC that there was “a good chance of a deal if we get the flexibility from the EU on fisheries and a level playing field”.
Britain wants a separate trade deal with the US, but some said Mr Johnson might struggle to form close ties with President-elect Joe Biden.
Mr Biden has in the past voiced his doubts about Brexit and has never met Mr Johnson.