Brussels, Belgium:
British and European negotiators broke off their talks on a post-Brexit trade deal with no agreement Friday and handed off the process of clearing the logjam to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
The leaders will hold a phone contact on Saturday following their envoys Michel Barnier and David Frost broke up following an arduous week of day and evening meetings with no a breakthrough.
“We agreed today that the conditions for an agreement are not met, due to significant divergences on level playing field, governance and fisheries,” the EU’s Barnier and UK’s Frost mentioned, in a tweeted joint statement.
“We agreed to pause the talks in order to brief our principals on the state of play of the negotiations. President Von der Leyen and Prime Minister Johnson will discuss the state of play tomorrow afternoon,” they mentioned.
Barnier was anticipated to leave London, and the leaders’ contact will take location late on Saturday afternoon.
The pause to talks that have dragged on for eight months came in spite of a tight deadline, with Britain due to leave the EU single industry on December 31 with or with no a comply with-on trade agreement.
A deal is necessary to stay away from deep disruptions to each economies — but specifically Britain’s — that have currently been brought low by the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the tight timetable, on Friday France threatened to veto any deal that fails quick of their demands on guaranteeing fair trade and access to UK fishing waters.
Last-minute debates have been also taken up by haggling more than an enforcement mechanism to govern any deal.
“If there’s a deal that isn’t a good one, we’d oppose it,” France’s minister for European affairs Clement Beaune told Europe 1 radio, adding: “Every country has the right to veto”.
A European diplomat told AFP that Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark share France’s issues that in the rush to conclude a deal, Barnier will give also significantly ground on guidelines to sustain fair competitors.
Britain’s nearest neighbours suspect Germany and the European Commission are also keen to agree a deal to stay away from damaging financial fallout.
“The Union has made the necessary gestures to reach a compromise. It is up to the British to make a move,” mentioned French foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll.
– ‘Time in quite quick supply’ –
Germany at the moment holds the EU’s rotating presidency and is also the bloc’s most significant economy and most influential member.
Asked about the state of the talks, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman mentioned Europe “is ready to reach an agreement with Great Britain, but not at any price”.
Thus far, the European capitals have remained united behind Barnier, who has been battling Frost as Johnson faces his personal decision about no matter whether to compromise.
Johnson’s official spokesman told reporters: “What is certain is that we will not be able to agree a deal that does not respect our fundamental principles on sovereignty and taking back control.”
In a show of stress on Johnson, veteran Brexit campaigner and former British MEP Nigel Farage mentioned the outcome was now up to the leaders.
“This really is Boris Johnson’s moment of truth,” Farage tweeted.
– ‘Complicated’ –
The want for a rapid deal was in significant component dictated by the European Parliament, which will want to see the text inside days if it is to adequately examine it in time to ratify it by the finish of the year.
European leaders will also want to see what Barnier is organizing at their summit on December 10.
The host of subsequent week’s summit, European Council president Charles Michel, hailed Barnier’s function and urged unity “until the last minute, the last second of the procedure”.
Whatever the outcome, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned companies to be prepared for what is coming in much less than a month’s time.
“Even with an agreement it will be more complicated. And without an agreement, it will be even more complicated,” Rutte told reporters in The Hague.