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Brexit: the UK has left the European Union

Brexit: PM and EU chief to hold call over post-Brexit trade deal

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says there is a "good deal to be done" on a post-Brexit trade agreement, ahead of a video call with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Negotiations broke up without agreement and both sides are calling on the other to compromise on key issues, including fishing and government subsidies.

Mr Johnson said he wants a deal like one struck between the EU and Canada.

He added the relationship the bloc has with Australia "would work well" too.

"We're resolved on either course, we're prepared for either course and we'll make it work but it's very much up to our friends and partners," Mr Johnson said.

It comes after Mrs von der Leyen called for talks to "intensify", as both sides set an October deadline to settle their differences.

Asked about potential compromises that could be made, Mr Johnson said: "The balance of trade is overwhelmingly on the side of the EU in the sense that they export much more to us than we do to them, certainly in manufacturing goods, and so we think there is a big opportunity for both sides to do well."

Mr Johnson, speaking while on a visit to a construction site in Leeds, pointed out that Canada is "some way away" but had managed to strike a deal with the EU while the UK remained bloc's biggest trading partner.

Earlier, he told the Daily Telegraph chances of a deal are "very good" if everyone "exercises some common sense" and he was "optimistic" about a Canada-style relationship.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54397942
 
UK's Johnson doesn't want a no-deal Brexit but can live with it

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson does not particularly wish for the Brexit transition period to end without a new trade deal in place but believes that Britain could live with such an outcome, he said on Sunday.

With the Dec. 31 expiry of the transition period fast approaching, Johnson and the head of the EU’s executive, Ursula von der Leyen, agreed in a phone call on Saturday to step up negotiations on a post-Brexit deal.

“I think it’s there to be done,” Johnson said during an interview on BBC television.

“Alas, there are some difficult issues that need to be fixed, and there’s no question that the EU needs to understand that we’re utterly serious about needing to control our own laws and our own regulations, and similarly they need to understand that the repatriation of the UK’s fisheries ... is very important.”

Asked whether he was worried about the potential impact of a no-deal situation in the middle of the COVID pandemic, Johnson said: “I don’t want the Australian WTO-type outcome, particularly, but we can more than live with it.

“I think the people of this country have had enough ... of being told that this will be impossible or intolerable. I think we can prosper mightily under those circumstances.”

The government last week told importers and exporters they would have to complete extra paperwork whether there was a deal or not and that a lack of preparation on their part could lead to 100 km queues of trucks.

That prompted accusations from the opposition that ministers were setting up industry to take the blame for any chaos that might follow a botched Brexit.

The EU says that any deal must be sealed by the end of October, or in the first days of November at the latest, to leave enough time for ratification by the bloc before the end of the year.

More trade talks are due in London next week and in Brussels the following week before the 27 national EU leaders meet over Oct. 15-16 to assess progress. London has also said it wants clarity by Oct. 15 on whether a deal is possible or not.

An estimated trillion euros ($1.17 trillion) of annual trade would be at stake if they fail to reach an agreement.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...eal-brexit-but-can-live-with-it-idUSKBN26P0BB
 
Exclusive: 'Big progress' in Brexit talks leaves EU seeing trade deal closer - sources

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain and the EU are close to agreement on reciprocal social security rights for their citizens after Brexit, two diplomatic sources said, with one describing talks last week on an elusive trade deal as “one of the most positive so far”.

The European Union diplomats said Brussels was now gearing up to negotiate until as late as mid-November - rather than cutting talks off at the start of next month - to avoid a damaging “no-deal” scenario when Britain’s standstill transition with the bloc ends on Dec. 31.

There was no breakthrough at last week’s negotiating round on the three most contentious issues - fishing rights, fair competition guarantees and ways to settle disputes in the future - but the prospects of an overall accord looked much brighter.

“We seem to be getting closer and closer to a deal, even though the no-deal rhetoric in public might suggest the opposite,” said one of the two sources, both of whom were briefed in detail by the executive European Commission, which is negotiating with Britain on behalf of the 27-nation EU.

Sterling cut losses vs the euro on Tuesday after the report.

The sources spoke ahead of further talks in London starting on Wednesday with Britain, which formally left the EU in January after nearly half a century of membership.

At stake in the talks is an estimated trillion euros worth of bilateral trade. Investors and businesses are increasingly anxious about a split with no agreement to ensure the continuation of trade without tariffs or quotas.

Speaking separately this week, a senior EU official dealing with Brexit said the talks were “in a decisive period” and “not far away from the endgame”.

“I still hope and think that we can find an agreement,” the person said, but stressed that the EU and its industry must be ready for the most damaging economic split as well.

“TUNNEL” TALKS?

The 27 national leaders are due to meet in Brussels on Oct.15-16 to assess progress. If they decide a deal is in the making, they would authorise a final stretch of extremely secretive, make-or-break negotiations known as the “tunnel”.

The EU has so far said a deal must be finalised by the two sides’ negotiators - Michel Barnier and David Frost - by the end of October so that it leaves time for ratification by the European Parliament and some national parliaments in the bloc.

A new, mid-November target suggests hectic weeks ahead that would rattle financial markets if an eleventh-hour-deal is to be reached.

Asked to comment on the EU sources’ assessment on Tuesday, a UK official had no specific comment on social security coordination but said of trade talks overall: “A deal is possible but not certain.”

“Teams now need to work intensively to try and bridge the significant gaps that remain – on fisheries, the level playing field and governance. We remain fully committed to seeking to reach an agreement by 15 October.”

The two EU diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Britain had made welcome proposals on nine out of 10 areas related to protecting reciprocal social security rights for people moving between EU member states and the United Kingdom.

These proposals, which included benefits for accidents at work and death grants, were a basis to “very easily agree” a joint text on social security coordination, they said.

These protections could be critical for as many as 5 million people, whether it be a Briton in retirement in southern France or a German employed in London.

However, there was no agreement on a tenth area relating to family benefits. London wants EU citizens to pay a surcharge over five years for healthcare access for family members, while the EU says it should reciprocate the open access it offers.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...eeing-trade-deal-closer-sources-idUSKBN26R29N
 
UK's Gove says cause for 'steady optimism' in EU talks

LONDON (Reuters) - British minister Michael Gove said he was optimistic about negotiations with the European Union on a future trade deal, and that he was hopeful and confident of making progress.

“Negotiations are proceeding ... in a way which gives us cause for steady optimism,” Gove told a parliamentary committee

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...for-steady-optimism-in-eu-talks-idUSKBN26S27I
 
11 weeks or so to go! See how the EU are now in line after parliament are ready to pass the new bill. Remainers can weep all they want, no law broken, full parliamentary processed followed.

This is how you negotiate. Be prepared to walk away, not be desperate.
 
EU needs clear sign UK will get real in Brexit talks, says Irish minister

The EU’s Michel Barnier will not move Brexit talks into the so-called “tunnel” of more intense negotiations “unless he gets a very clear signal from the UK that they are willing to show some flexibility and realism” in its approach to a deal, Ireland’s foreign affairs minister has said.

Simon Coveney, who played a significant role in the first three years of talks, also said the talks would blow up completely if the UK went ahead with clauses in the yet-to-be-tabled finance bill giving ministers unilateral powers over the Northern Ireland protocol for a second time.

At the weekend Boris Johnson and the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, instructed Barnier and the UK’s chief negotiator, David Frost, to keep trying to find a solution to the Brexit impasse.

Coveney told an Irish parliamentary committee on Wednesday that no one should be offended by the UK’s desire to drive a hard bargain, but the UK’s refusal to budge on state aid and fair competition rules was “very problematic” because it had agreed in detail to work at a solution when it signed the political declaration in January.

“Michel Barnier has been very insistent on this. He is not going to move this process into a more intensive phase, which many people will describe as a tunnel, to try to close out through it the remaining issues unless he gets a very clear signal from the UK that they’re willing to show some flexibility and some realism around the need for fair and open competition between these two big economies,” said Coveney.

He said the finance bill, which is due to be published imminently, could unsettle or even collapse the talks.

“If the finance bill is introduced with that provision in it [to give UK ministers unilateral powers in Northern Ireland], I think many in the EU will see that as an indication that the British government simply doesn’t want to deal because it would be a second piece of legislation designed to deliberately break the withdrawal agreement,” he told the Irish parliament’s European affairs committee.

He said the mood in Brussels was “downbeat” and many thought the UK did not want a Brexit deal after the publication of the internal market bill and its threat to override some of the withdrawal agreement.

He said that if this was a negotiating tactic it had backfired. There would be no concession from the EU over the threat to break international law.

In the first detailed assessment of Brexit talks since the UK threatened to break international law, Coveney revealed fresh details on the workings of a joint committee chaired by Michael Gove and the European commission vice-president, Maroš Šefčovič, on implementing the Northern Ireland protocol.

He said talks on whether businesses would need to complete summary export declarations on goods going from Northern Ireland to Great Britain were going well. The UK wants the declarations scrapped while the EU had interpreted them as necessary. “The two sides have had, I think, quite fruitful discussions on this issue to try and find a middle ground position,” he said.

The question of the potential of state aid rules in the protocol to “reach back” to businesses in Great Britain was causing huge difficulties, however. Under the protocol, EU state aid rules must apply to Northern Ireland businesses, but there was a question over what would happen if a local business benefited from huge subsidies to its headquarters in Britain, Coveney said. “There is real disagreement here.”

He also revealed that Brexit talks could continue well into next year. With no extra time, the “best-case scenario was a very basic trade deal that avoids tariffs and quotas”. This would be significant but it would mean that a series of temporary side deals on other elements of the future relationship would need to be signed, with talks on permanent solutions extending to next year.

Issues that could be covered by these temporary deals could include data-sharing and cooperation on policing and justice, he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-get-real-in-brexit-talks-says-irish-minister
 
UK will leave EU without a deal if it has to: PM Johnson's spokesman

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson is prepared to fully leave the European Union without a deal when the Brexit transition period ends, his spokesman said on Thursday, but the British leader still believes there is a deal to be done.

“He thinks there is a deal to be done and we have a clear commitment to trying to reach an agreement,” the spokesman said before adding two further points.

“First is, time is in short supply. And secondly ... we are prepared to end the transition period on Australian-style terms if a deal can’t be found”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...it-has-to-pm-johnsons-spokesman-idUSKBN26T27G
 
Brexit deal close but EU seeks more before starting final talks

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier wants a few more concessions from Britain before entering the last intense phase of negotiations on a trade deal, an EU diplomat said on Friday, as an Oct. 15 deadline looms.

The United Kingdom formally left the EU on Jan. 31, but more than fours years since voting 52%-48% for Brexit in a 2016 referendum, the two sides are haggling over a trade deal that would kick in when informal membership ends on Dec. 31.

The two chief negotiators, Barnier and Britain’s David Frost, say they are inching towards a deal, though they have underscored that important gaps remain on fishing, level playing field issues and governance. Both sides have no-deal plans.

Barnier, who left London on Friday just 12 hours after arriving, wants a few more concessions from Britain before entering the so called “tunnel” - the final stretch of highly secretive, make-or-break negotiations.

“We need to get a little bit more from the UK side before he (Barnier) … is ready to enter the tunnel,” said a senior EU diplomat.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said some progress had been made but the two sides did not yet see eye to eye on all matters.

“We’ve had useful discussions this week and progress has been made in some areas. However, there still remain differences on some important issues,” the spokesman said.

Johnson has set a deadline of the Oct. 15 EU summit for a deal, and while his top Brexit advisers say that additional work on a text would have to follow, they have warned the EU that they will not do a deal at any price.

As he grapples with a swiftly accelerating second wave of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Johnson will ultimately have to make the final call on whether to accept a narrow trade deal or go for a more tumultuous no-deal that could be blamed on the EU.

He has repeatedly said that his preference is for a deal but that Britain could make a success of a no-deal scenario, which would throw $900 billion in annual bilateral trade into uncertainty and could snarl the border, turning the southeastern county of Kent into a vast truck park.

Read more:

DEAL TIME?

After Johnson’s bid to undercut the 2020 Brexit divorce treaty, there are fears that London is employing what one European diplomat said was Madman Theory - a reference to former U.S. President Richard Nixon’s attempt to convince Moscow that he was irrational during the Cold War.

“You always need to do contingency planning, I mean the end of the year is approaching rapidly and we still don’t know whether there’s going to be a deal or not,” said the EU diplomat.

“Companies need to prepare, but also in addition they need to prepare for a no deal. But that does not mean that we feel that a deal is impossible - I think it’s still very well possible.”

One emotive trouble spot is fishing.

The EU wants to secure consistent rights to fish in British waters, an important issue for France where coastal fishing communities are politically influential. Britain wants a deal more like that of non-EU member Norway, under which quotas are set each year.

“I do not believe that … this (fisheries stand-off) will be a major impediment to an EU-UK agreement,” the EU diplomat said.

“What I see now is that the UK is, you know, trying to say ‘OK, you know, this is really valuable, it’s a matter of sovereignty’ - but they see it as a lever to gain market access to the European Union. I think that’s the game that we’re seeing right now.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ore-before-starting-final-talks-idUSKBN26U0S0
 
UK will explore every avenue for EU deal, PM Johnson tells France's Macron

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will explore every avenue for a trade deal with the European Union but progress to bridge significant gaps needs to be made in the coming days, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday.

“(Johnson) confirmed the UK’s commitment to exploring every avenue to reach an agreement,” Downing Street said in a read-out of the call.

“The Prime Minister emphasised that progress must be made in the coming days to bridge the significant gaps, notably in the areas of fisheries and the level playing field, through the process of intensive talks between Chief Negotiators agreed with the President of the European Commission.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...pm-johnson-tells-frances-macron-idUSKBN26V0MY
 
Britain will work hard for EU deal by mid-October, says PM's spokesman

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will work as hard as it can to secure a post-Brexit agreement with the European Union by Oct. 15 but the country is prepared to move ahead without a free trade deal, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.

“We’ll work as hard as we can to see if we can get an agreement by the 15th of October,” he said, pointedly adding that the EU had indicated in July that mid-October was the last possible date for a deal.

Britain’s chief negotiator David Frost is in Brussels for intensified talks with the European Union.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-mid-october-says-pms-spokesman-idUSKBN26X1QP
 
Hey [MENTION=136108]Donal Cozzie[/MENTION] - I am a documented Irishman now.

It feels good.
 
Robert said:
Hey [MENTION=136108]Donal Cozzie[/MENTION] - I am a documented Irishman now.

It feels good.
Click to expand...

Congrats! May you keep on your journey through your ancestry.

Tad biased but I'm quite a big fan of art on the passport pages !

Let's hope you're more along the lines of the Matt Hollands and Tony Cascarinos and less the lines of Piers Morgans :P
 
Donal Cozzie said:
Congrats! May you keep on your journey through your ancestry.

Tad biased but I'm quite a big fan of art on the passport pages !

Let's hope you're more along the lines of the Matt Hollands and Tony Cascarinos and less the lines of Piers Morgans :P
Click to expand...

Thank you.

Yes, the passport interior does look nice. I also stumped up for the EU-EEA travel card which probably wasn’t necessary. It only lasts five years and I can’t see any use for it until the vaccine is rolled out.

Not a Piers fan, though he has gained some credit of late by shellacking our awful government.

In the Six Nations I can shout COYBIG now :))
 
Germany wants 'substantive' UK moves in 'critical stage' of Brexit talks

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany on Tuesday demanded “substantive” movement from Britain on fisheries, dispute settlement and fair competition guarantees in post-Brexit trade talks with the European Union, which it said were “at a very critical stage”.

Britain, home to the world’s sixth-biggest economy, in January became the only country to leave the EU. It has since been locked in painstaking talks with the world’s largest trading bloc to keep trade flowing freely despite Brexit.

With a year-end deadline nearing to put new trading arrangements in place, German EU affairs minister Michael Roth said the EU was working hard for a deal, but was also ready to trade from 2021 without an accord to avoid tariffs or quotas.

“We are at a very critical stage in the negotiations and we are extremely under pressure. Time is running out,” Roth said as he arrived for talks about Brexit in Luxembourg with ministers from the bloc’s 27 member states.

“That’s why we expect substantial progress by our friends in the United Kingdom in key areas: in particular on governance, ‘level playing field’ and fisheries.”

The EU-UK negotiation aims to reach a new partnership agreement on everything from trade to transport and nuclear cooperation from Jan. 1, when London’s post-Brexit standstill transition has run its course.

Around a trillion euros’ worth of annual trade are at stake.

EU leaders hold a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to assess progress, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also said he wants to know by Oct. 15 if a deal can be reached by the end of the year.

A key face of the Brexit campaign in Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the bloc, Johnson has talked to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in recent days.

Read more:

LONG ROAD, LITTLE TIME

London has also called for flexibility from the EU, echoed the line that time is short, and said it is ready if necessary to trade on World Trade Organization terms - which include quotas and tariffs - if there is no deal.

But the EU Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, repeated his downbeat message of the last few days, echoing Roth.

“There is some movement here and there, but it is far from sufficient. ‘Level playing field’, fisheries and enforcement measures remain the key controversial issues,” an EU diplomat quoted him as telling the meeting.

France, which sets great store by fisheries, has so far shown little willingness to compromise with Britain on future access to fishing waters and sharing out quotas, despite growing pressure from others in the bloc to help unlock a deal.

French Europe Minister Clement Beaune said the bloc must be “very firm” on its top priorities, and that safeguards of fair competition were an indispensable condition for accessing the EU’s internal market of 450 million people without trade barriers.

Macron is expected to hammer that point when he meets his fellow EU national leaders in Brussels.

But, with both sides raising the stakes and markets increasingly jittery, the leaders are also seen as likely to authorise a continuation of talks with Britain until the end of the month.

“There is some movement, but some movement only. There won’t be a full package of solutions ready for the summit. There are still multiple differences,” said an EU diplomat.

“The road ahead is still long and we have little time left.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-critical-stage-of-brexit-talks-idUSKBN26Y10M
 
EU and Britain to keep talking past Johnson's Brexit deadline

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union and Britain are set to prolong Brexit talks past a mid-October deadline to try bridge stubborn gaps holding up a new trade agreement, according to sources and documents.

As the year-end deadline for a pact on relations with Britain nears, EU leaders meeting on Thursday and Friday will tell their Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to step up talks to get a deal by Jan. 1, 2021, according to a draft of their decision.

UK negotiator David Frost is then due to tell Prime Minister Boris Johnson if he thinks it is worth continuing the tortuous negotiations, and whether a deal on everything from trade to transport and energy cooperation is achievable in time.

A source close to the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Frost would say agreement was difficult but not impossible if both sides work intensively in the coming weeks.

The EU summit is set to conclude that progress so far is “still not sufficient” to seal a deal, and will also step up preparations for an abrupt split without provisions to avoid trade tariffs or quotas.

EU leaders will also tell Britain it must implement the agreed Brexit divorce treaty in full.

This refers to a bill going through the UK parliament that would give the government the power to break that treaty. London says that, if its talks with the EU fail, this measure will be needed to protect trade between Northern Ireland and the remainder of the United Kingdom.

“It is in the interests of both sides to have an agreement in place,” Charles Michel, chairman of the EU leaders, said ahead of the summit.

“This cannot, however, happen at any price. The coming days are decisive. Key issues include, in particular, the level playing field, fisheries and governance.”

These areas, covering state aid and other guarantees of fair competition, fishing rights and dispute settlement procedures, have long been the main sticking points.

Fisheries are crucial to France, where coastal communities are politically influential.

“It is out of the question to sacrifice our fishermen,” a French official said.

Read more:

DEADLINES

Johnson was due to hold a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at 1830 GMT.

A UK spokesman said fisheries were the starkest among lingering differences, and that Johnson would decide only after the EU summit whether to proceed with negotiations.

The source with knowledge of Frost’s views said talks so far had clarified potential agreements on aviation and road haulage, energy ties and future coordination of social benefits.

Gaps have narrowed on trade in goods and services, though these still lack precise arrangements on technical detail including designations of origin on products, the source said.

On corporate subsidies, London wants to have two separate, if related, sets of rules, while the EU is pushing for more detailed joint provisions to govern state aid.

The sides remain fundamentally apart on fisheries despite efforts to come closer, the source said.

Johnson previously said he wanted clarity by Oct. 15 on the chances for a deal, and the EU has said an agreement must come this month to give the European Parliament time to ratify it before 2021.

However, sources say the EU could negotiate until mid-November to avoid being blamed for any failure, which would severely damage free trade between the world’s largest trading bloc and the sixth-biggest economy.

Neither the EU nor the source who described Frost’s thinking mentioned a new firm deadline, beyond the need to have a deal in place from Jan. 1.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...g-past-johnsons-brexit-deadline-idUSKBN26Z0R3
 
Most readers, including the snowflake woke liberals do not understand the strategy here.

Boris is waiting for the outcome of the US elections which will influence the remaining 4 years of Tory rule before the next UK election. Boris was hoping EU would fold before the 3rd Nov, but EU know that Boris is waiting to know who the next US President is.

Why was the new Brexit bill (Internal Market Bill) not passed as law yet when Boris has the votes? He's waiting for the 4th Nov.

Nothing is going to happen with Brexit/EU negotiations until the 4th Nov.

Trump to win, inshallah!
 
There may not even be a US result until early January if it goes to the Supreme Court. That would take us past New Year’s Eve and into a No-Deal scenario.
 
James said:
There may not even be a US result until early January if it goes to the Supreme Court. That would take us past New Year’s Eve and into a No-Deal scenario.
Click to expand...

I must agree with you in that there is a strong possibility that the US President won’t be decided until January.

But this aside, it has to be an incredibly transparent plan if all you’re doing is hoping for A Trump win to set up the next four years of domestic and economic policy.

Some people must think the Liberal Left Wing Eu leaders are the numpties and somehow the right wing oafs are the beacon for future success...

Crazy world we living in
 
James said:
There may not even be a US result until early January if it goes to the Supreme Court. That would take us past New Year’s Eve and into a No-Deal scenario.
Click to expand...

That's if the election is too close to call; both sides are predicting landslide victories.

Then again, Biden could keel over during the entire process.
 
Firebat said:
EU and Britain to keep talking past Johnson's Brexit deadline

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union and Britain are set to prolong Brexit talks past a mid-October deadline to try bridge stubborn gaps holding up a new trade agreement, according to sources and documents.

As the year-end deadline for a pact on relations with Britain nears, EU leaders meeting on Thursday and Friday will tell their Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to step up talks to get a deal by Jan. 1, 2021, according to a draft of their decision.

UK negotiator David Frost is then due to tell Prime Minister Boris Johnson if he thinks it is worth continuing the tortuous negotiations, and whether a deal on everything from trade to transport and energy cooperation is achievable in time.

A source close to the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Frost would say agreement was difficult but not impossible if both sides work intensively in the coming weeks.

The EU summit is set to conclude that progress so far is “still not sufficient” to seal a deal, and will also step up preparations for an abrupt split without provisions to avoid trade tariffs or quotas.

EU leaders will also tell Britain it must implement the agreed Brexit divorce treaty in full.

This refers to a bill going through the UK parliament that would give the government the power to break that treaty. London says that, if its talks with the EU fail, this measure will be needed to protect trade between Northern Ireland and the remainder of the United Kingdom.

“It is in the interests of both sides to have an agreement in place,” Charles Michel, chairman of the EU leaders, said ahead of the summit.

“This cannot, however, happen at any price. The coming days are decisive. Key issues include, in particular, the level playing field, fisheries and governance.”

These areas, covering state aid and other guarantees of fair competition, fishing rights and dispute settlement procedures, have long been the main sticking points.

Fisheries are crucial to France, where coastal communities are politically influential.

“It is out of the question to sacrifice our fishermen,” a French official said.

Read more:

DEADLINES

Johnson was due to hold a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at 1830 GMT.

A UK spokesman said fisheries were the starkest among lingering differences, and that Johnson would decide only after the EU summit whether to proceed with negotiations.

The source with knowledge of Frost’s views said talks so far had clarified potential agreements on aviation and road haulage, energy ties and future coordination of social benefits.

Gaps have narrowed on trade in goods and services, though these still lack precise arrangements on technical detail including designations of origin on products, the source said.

On corporate subsidies, London wants to have two separate, if related, sets of rules, while the EU is pushing for more detailed joint provisions to govern state aid.

The sides remain fundamentally apart on fisheries despite efforts to come closer, the source said.

Johnson previously said he wanted clarity by Oct. 15 on the chances for a deal, and the EU has said an agreement must come this month to give the European Parliament time to ratify it before 2021.

However, sources say the EU could negotiate until mid-November to avoid being blamed for any failure, which would severely damage free trade between the world’s largest trading bloc and the sixth-biggest economy.

Neither the EU nor the source who described Frost’s thinking mentioned a new firm deadline, beyond the need to have a deal in place from Jan. 1.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...g-past-johnsons-brexit-deadline-idUSKBN26Z0R3
Click to expand...

So Katja Adler said on the BBC yesterday.

This is encouraging. Even if we do get the full crash-out Brexit with lorry queues on the M20 and food shortages, some sort of trade deal will eventually be hammered out. Perhaps after a change of government brings more competent negotiators.
 
Robert said:
Hey [MENTION=136108]Donal Cozzie[/MENTION] - I am a documented Irishman now.

It feels good.
Click to expand...

Just out of interest when there is a border/Irish reunification vote (changing demographics in NI means that the vote will come sooner rather than later) how will you vote? I know it’s the RoI you’re talking about but as per the good Friday agreement they will also be part of any referendum.
 
EU to Britain: fair trade deal worth every effort but stand ready to fail

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders said on Thursday agreeing a “fair” new partnership with Britain was “worth every effort” but that the bloc would not compromise at any cost and was ready for an abrupt split in trade worth a trillion euros every year.

Meeting face-to-face for only the third time in the coronavirus pandemic, the EU leaders wore masks and kept their distance as they gathered in Brussels to discuss Brexit, where a new trade pact is still elusive as an year-end deadline nears.

“We want a deal, but obviously not at any price. It has to be a fair agreement that serves the interests of both sides. This is worth every effort,” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Britain left the EU in January and the estranged allies have since been locked in complex negotiations to try and keep trading without tariffs or quotas from 2021.

Talks have narrowed gaps on issues from social welfare to transport but three contentious areas have so far prevented a deal: fair competition, dispute resolution and fisheries, which is particularly important to France.

“In no case shall our fishermen be sacrificed for Brexit,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on arriving in Brussels.

“If these conditions are not met, it’s possible we won’t have a deal. If the right terms can’t be found at the end of these discussions, we’re ready for a no-deal for our future relations,” he added.

With businesses and markets increasingly jittery as the deadline nears, Thursday’s EU summit is to approve extending the negotiations with a demand for Britain to budge, as well as stepping up contingency plans for an abrupt split.

Ireland, the EU member most exposed to a chaotic rupture, said smooth post-Brexit trade between the world’s sixth largest economy and biggest trading bloc was still possible and even more essential given the economic havoc of the COVID-19 crisis.

“Where there is a will there’s a way,” Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told EU leaders meeting in Brussels.

“With COVID-19 having such a devastating impact on society and on the economies in the United Kingdom and across Europe obviously leaders will not want to hit citizens with a shock a no-deal would represent.”

Read more:

‘CRAZY’

The pandemic has thrust Europe into unprecedented recession and many nations are tightening restrictions again to combat a second infection wave sweeping the continent as winter looms.

Given the economic malaise and global instability, it would be “crazy” if the estranged allies failed to agree, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said Britain would reflect on the Brussels meeting before deciding next steps. “We’ve always been clear that a negotiated outcome is our preference,” he said.

Many on financial markets expect a thin deal by early November, though after several more weeks of drama.

The EU has warned it will not leave fishing rights to last and that they must be part of a wider deal together with issues like financial services where London has a weaker hand.

The sides are also far apart on fair competition safeguards covering social, labour and environment standards, as well as state aid.

Britain wants to be able to regulate its own corporate subsidies freely in the future, while the EU seeks to lock in joint rules. Otherwise, the bloc says Britain cannot have free access to its cherished single market of 450 million consumers.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-effort-but-stand-ready-to-fail-idUSKBN2700E0
 
Gabbar Singh said:
Just out of interest when there is a border/Irish reunification vote (changing demographics in NI means that the vote will come sooner rather than later) how will you vote? I know it’s the RoI you’re talking about but as per the good Friday agreement they will also be part of any referendum.
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Asking mercenaries who are bailing the UK in fear and insecurity? You will not get a straight answer. The people who applied for Irish passports don't give a rat's backside. If they did they'd have their Irish citizenship they day they were born - there's your answer.
 
Brexit: EU leaders call for UK trade talks to continue

EU leaders have called for post-Brexit trade talks to continue beyond the end of the week - the deadline suggested by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

At a two-day summit in Brussels beginning on Thursday, they called on the UK to "make the necessary moves" towards a deal.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said fresh "intensive" talks should aim to reach a deal around the end of October.

But his UK counterpart said he was "disappointed" by the EU's approach.

Lord David Frost tweeted the EU was expecting "all future moves" for a deal to come from the UK, which he called an "unusual approach to conducting a negotiation".

He added the prime minister would react to the EU's position as the summit wraps up on Friday.

Both sides are calling on each other to compromise on key issues, including fishing and limits on government subsidies to businesses.

They are seeking an agreement to govern their trading relationship once the UK's post-Brexit transition period ends in December.

Following the talks on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said "in some places there was movement, in other places there is still a lot of work to do."

"We have asked Great Britain to continue to be willing to compromise towards an agreement. Of course, this also means that we have to make compromises," she told reporters.

European Council President Charles Michel said the EU would decide whether talks should continue in the coming days, based on the UK's next move.

Mr Barnier said negotiations were "not finished", and the EU was ready to accelerate talks from Monday for the "two or three weeks that remain before us".

Earlier, in a conclusions document issued during the summit, the EU said progress in key areas was currently "not sufficient" to reach a deal.

It asked Mr Barnier to "continue negotiations in the coming weeks".
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Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54557585.
 
Gabbar Singh said:
Just out of interest when there is a border/Irish reunification vote (changing demographics in NI means that the vote will come sooner rather than later) how will you vote? I know it’s the RoI you’re talking about but as per the good Friday agreement they will also be part of any referendum.
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Thank you for posing this interesting question.

I would have to register to vote.

100K Britons per month are applying for Irish passports so that is a major voting bloc in a nation with just six million people.
 
But [MENTION=7898]Gabbar Singh[/MENTION] as I am not resident in Ireland, I cannot register to vote. You have to get a Garda to sign a form.
 
UK must 'get ready' for no EU trade deal, says PM

The UK has to "get ready" for no trade deal with the EU, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Unless there was a "fundamental" change of direction from the EU, he said the two sides would not be able to agree a post-Brexit economic partnership,

The UK set a deadline of Thursday to decide whether it was worth continuing talks amid continuing disagreements.

Both sides have indicated they want to carry on but the EU has said it is up to the UK to make the next move.

The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said a no-deal outcome seemed to be moving closer after Thursday's meeting of EU leaders - which the UK was not present at - failed to "move the dial".

But she said there was still a "long way to go", with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier due in London next week for further discussions.

And the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said EU negotiators would seek to "intensify" the talks in the coming days. She tweeted: "The EU continues to work for a deal but not at any price."

Speaking in Downing Street, Mr Johnson declined to be drawn on whether the UK was now willing to walk away from the process amid differences over fisheries and competition issues.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54566897
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The UK's chief Brexit negotiator has told his European counterpart not to come to London on Monday to resolve stalled talks, after the prime minister warned it was time to "get ready" to leave without a deal <a href="https://t.co/3JNxKZhgRW">https://t.co/3JNxKZhgRW</a></p>— SkyNews (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1317208523789471746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Gabbar Singh said:
There’s going to be a referendum in Ireland re letting non resident Irishmen and women vote in presidential elections. I’d guess that if there ever is a border vote then something similar would happen for that.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and...s-to-vote-for-president-faces-delay-1.4020145
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An interesting development. My understanding is that the President doesn’t have a lot of power compared to the Taoiseach so maybe the Dail are testing the water by enfranchising what is potentially a history-changing cohort of voters.

In the thread “Will the UK split?“ [MENTION=136108]Donal Cozzie[/MENTION] advises on the various pitfalls and advantages of a United Ireland. I would have to give it a lot of thought. Spend more time in Belfast and Dublin and talk to people, and read and read.

If I get enfranchised. One bridge at a time.
 
Britain's Gove says door not closed on EU deal talks

LONDON (Reuters) - British senior minister Michael Gove said on Sunday the door remained “ajar” for talks on a post-Brexit trade deal to continue if the European Union changed its approach.

“I think the EU effectively ended the current round of talks last week. It was the case we were making progress but then the EU retreated from that,” he told BBC TV.

Asked if the door was ajar for talks to continue, Gove said: “It is ajar. We hope that the EU will change their position; we’re certainly not saying if they do change their position that we can’t talk to them.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...oor-not-closed-on-eu-deal-talks-idUSKBN2730AO
 
Politics. Of course the door is open, but what else can UK say to add salt to the wound after Micheal Barnier was told not to come on Monday. Pistol whip galore.

It's time these racist and unelected EU bureaucrats got a taste of their medicine. UK will never bow or tow the line of the Nazis.
 
Technics 1210 said:
Politics. Of course the door is open, but what else can UK say to add salt to the wound after Micheal Barnier was told not to come on Monday. Pistol whip galore.

It's time these racist and unelected EU bureaucrats got a taste of their medicine. UK will never bow or tow the line of the Nazis.
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How did you manage to create a comparison with Nazis.

Anyway, looks like both sides are playing a game of last man standing.
 
msaaim89 said:
How did you manage to create a comparison with Nazis.

Anyway, looks like both sides are playing a game of last man standing.
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France were ruled by Nazis at one point. French opened the doors effortlessly. There is also a massive uprising of the right in Europe.

I call the EU, Nazis. For many reasons, but mainly because Germany tried to control Europe twice and failed (World Wars) but has partially succeeded with the EU, in it's 3rd attempt - Germany's weapon of choice today? The Euro.
 
Robert said:
An interesting development. My understanding is that the President doesn’t have a lot of power compared to the Taoiseach so maybe the Dail are testing the water by enfranchising what is potentially a history-changing cohort of voters.

In the thread “Will the UK split?“ [MENTION=136108]Donal Cozzie[/MENTION] advises on the various pitfalls and advantages of a United Ireland. I would have to give it a lot of thought. Spend more time in Belfast and Dublin and talk to people, and read and read.

If I get enfranchised. One bridge at a time.
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Presidential role is purely ceremonial. They technically can refuse to sign off on the legislation the Dail passes but in practice that will never happen. It's still an important role obviously, with plenty of publicity and so on, but in terms of real power very little.

And yes, under the GFA a referendum poll has to be taken on both sides of the border, similar to how the GFA was passed.
 
Donal Cozzie said:
Presidential role is purely ceremonial. They technically can refuse to sign off on the legislation the Dail passes but in practice that will never happen. It's still an important role obviously, with plenty of publicity and so on, but in terms of real power very little.

And yes, under the GFA a referendum poll has to be taken on both sides of the border, similar to how the GFA was passed.
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That’s what I thought, similar role to the British Sovereign.

So presumably a putative reunification referendum would have to be agreed upon in principle by the Dail, Stormont and Westminster?
 
Gabbar Singh said:
Just out of interest when there is a border/Irish reunification vote (changing demographics in NI means that the vote will come sooner rather than later) how will you vote? I know it’s the RoI you’re talking about but as per the good Friday agreement they will also be part of any referendum.
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Like the Brexit referendum it’s complex, but I think in principle I want Ireland to reunite, to heal that old wound of Partition.

But as [MENTION=136108]Donal Cozzie[/MENTION] says there would be significant problems to overcome in terms of continued employment of the large civil servant cadre of NI, differences in health care provision, and how to unify two separate national and political traditions. I think Stormont would have to continue as a devolved administrative power base for the British tradition of the North, a sort of Ulster Devo Max.
 
EU tells Britain to make up its mind as Brexit deal 'within reach'

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union told Britain on Wednesday to make up its mind on Brexit, putting the onus back on London to unlock trade talks as the bloc’s chief negotiator said an agreement was still within reach with 10 weeks to go.

A frustrated European Union and piqued Britain exhorted each other this week to compromise to avoid a disruptive finale to the five-year Brexit drama that would add to economic pain from the coronavirus crisis.

“Time is very short and we stand ready to negotiate 24/7, on all subjects, on legal texts. The UK has a bit of a decision to make and it’s their free and sovereign choice,” European Council President Charles Michel told the European Parliament.

He said Britain’s answer would determine its level of access to the EU’s internal market of 450 million consumers. The EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told the parliament an agreement was still “within reach”.

“Time is of the essence ... Along with our British counterparts, we must find solutions to the most difficult areas,” Barnier said, in comments that pushed sterling higher.

London has this week refused to continue full negotiations, saying the EU must “fundamentally change” its stance.

The bloc sees this as bluff by Prime Minister Boris Johnson but has also extended an olive branch by talking up UK sovereignity, as well as the EU’s readiness to discuss intensively, across the board and on specific legal texts.

A UK spokesman said London noted “with interest” Barnier’s comments that touch “in a significant way on the issues behind the current difficulties in our talks”.

Barnier and his UK counterpart David Frost were due to talk on the phone at 1400GMT on Wednesday.

Britain, one of Europe’s biggest military powers, has also formally notified the EU of its intention to withdraw from the bloc’s military missions by the end of this year, EU diplomats said on Wednesday, as had been announced by London earlier.

The EU has complained about Britain’s refusal to negotiate a new international security and foreign policy pact. In the meantime, Spain and Italy are stepping up their role in the EU’s 17 missions around the world.

“DOORS OPEN”

Michel stressed the 27 EU members were ready for an abrupt split without a new agreement to avoid tariffs or quotas with three main sticking points in the negotiations: fishing rights, economic fair play and settling disputes.

“We don’t need words, we need guarantees,” he said of fair competition safeguards. “Do our British friends want to regulate state aid and uphold high medical standards? If so, why not commit to them.”

Michel called for a “binding, independent arbitration” to redress market distortions swiftly, adding that London’s draft Internal Market Bill - which would undermine Britain’s earlier divorce deal with the EU - only strengthened the bloc’s resolve to ensure tight policing of any new deal.

The bloc’s executive Commission said London must respect its Brexit settlement regardless of the trade talks.

Michel said losing access to British waters would damage the EU’s fishing industry, and the bloc therefore wanted to prolong the status-quo just as London sought to keep the EU market open for UK companies.

“But the UK wants access to the single market while at the same time being able to diverge from our standards and regulations when it suits them,” Michel said.

Following Brexit last January, Britain’s current EU trading terms expire in 10 weeks and unfettered commerce will end without a new treaty.

Keen to avoid any blame, the bloc is ready to negotiate until mid-November but must then ratify any deal in the European Parliament before time is up.

“Our doors remain open and will remain open until the last day possible,” Barnier said. “But it takes two to reach a deal.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ind-as-brexit-deal-within-reach-idUSKBN2760VK
 
"Our doors remain open and will remain open until the last day possible,” Barnier said. “But it takes two to reach a deal.”

Bless, what a change of tune from Barnier. Not so tough after the UK called his Nazi bluff.
 
Getting a bit dull and repetitive now. And by a bit, I mean very.

This is obviously building towards a supposedly stunning reveal in late November, when the new Free Trade Agreement is agreed and signed by both parties upon which it then sails through both Parliaments in time for Christmas.
 
Robert said:
That’s what I thought, similar role to the British Sovereign.

So presumably a putative reunification referendum would have to be agreed upon in principle by the Dail, Stormont and Westminster?
Click to expand...

Don't think so. Think this is in the British Government's hands. As per the GFA, which is a bit vague, once it is felt that the terms for a border poll are met it can be called by the NI Secretary. Don't think anyone down here can do anything to stop that, can't see why they'd want to anyway.
 
Time running short, UK and EU get back down to business

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - With time fast running out, Britain and the European Union start intensified negotiations on Thursday in a new, final push to try to secure a deal to protect billions of dollars of post-Brexit trade between the neighbours.

After Prime Minister Boris Johnson walked away from the negotiations late last week, the two sides reached agreement on Wednesday to resume talks just 10 weeks before a status quo transition arrangement expires and Britain goes it alone.

With trust damaged and tempers frayed, the two sides will sit down every day including the weekend until Oct. 25, and then set the intensified agenda for the coming weeks in both Brussels and London.

The EU is ready to negotiate by mid-November, but then needs time to be able to ratify any deal before the year-end deadline.

“Time is now very short and we’ve been repeatedly clear that any agreement needs to be in place before the end of the transition period and if an agreement can’t be reached, we will leave on Australian-style terms,” a spokesman for Johnson told reporters, using the government’s term for no deal.

“Both sides have agreed to a genuine intensification of the negotiations with talks taking place daily, including at weekends, and both sides do recognise that time is extremely short.”

The talks have all but stalled since summer, with neither side compromising on the thorniest issues of fair competition guarantees, especially state aid rules, and fisheries, a sector laden with symbolism for Brexit supporters in Britain.

There has been some movement around the edges, but in a briefing with diplomats in Brussels late on Wednesday, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said he “wasn’t worried about anything else but fish”, one person who participated in the closed-door meeting said.

“Fish is now the thing to tackle. The other elements seem doable, more or less,” the diplomat said.

After Johnson walked away from talks last week, EU officials have become increasingly frustrated with British tactics which in their mind simply use up valuable time in unnecessary theatrics.

But the UK side have argued that they must stick up for their position, and honour Johnson’s pledge to “take back control”. Some in his team saw a small victory in the EU talking up British sovereignty to get the talks back on track.

With time running out, businesses are being told to get ready for the end of the transition period, with or without a trade deal, with British ministers launching an advertising campaign to encourage companies to prepare now.

A no-deal finale to Britain’s five-year Brexit drama would disrupt the operations of manufacturers, retailers, farmers and nearly every other sector just as the economic hit from the coronavirus pandemic worsens.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...nd-eu-get-back-down-to-business-idUSKBN2771WX
 
Back at the Brexit table, UK and EU try to land deal on fish

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain and the European Union have made good progress in talks on a last-minute trade deal that would stave off a tumultuous finale to the five-year-old Brexit crisis, but fish is the biggest sticking point.

The United Kingdom left the EU in January but the two sides are trying to clinch a deal that would govern nearly a trillion dollars in annual trade before informal membership - known as the transition period - ends on Dec. 31.

“We’re in intense negotiations with the EU - we’ve made real progress,” Trade Secretary Liz Truss said. “We’re making good progress on the negotiations.”

“But if the EU aren’t prepared to do a deal that allows the UK to retain its sovereignty, then we will go to Australia style terms, and I think that’s perfectly reasonable.”

After threats from Britain that it would undercut the 2020 divorce treaty, and Johnson briefly broke off trade talks on Friday, the EU said it was ready to talk about draft legal texts of a deal.

The chief negotiators of Britain and the European Union, Michel Barnier and David Frost, meet on Friday for intensive negotiations.

After some progress on competition guarantees including state aid rules, the hardest issue remains fish: Johnson has insisted on taking back control over its waters while the EU wants access to the fishing waters.

Ireland’s foreign minister said he believed Britain and the EU could reach a trade deal now the talks were back on track, but added the issues of fair competition and fisheries hampering an accord were “still very much there”.

“I think a deal can be done... What we have now, after all sorts of politics being played, is a process that is back on track,” Simon Coveney said, adding, however, that both sides remained “miles apart” on fishing.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...and-eu-try-to-land-deal-on-fish-idUSKBN2780QN
 
Brexit trade costs will be 'material' deal or no deal: Deutsche Bank

LONDON (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank analysts estimate that the costs to trade between Britain and the European Union will be high even if the two sides manage to strike a deal by the end of the year because of the impact of non-tariff barriers.

“Tariffs make up only a small part of the direct trade cost from leaving the EU,” the analysts wrote in a note.

“Of more significance is the prevalence of non-tariff barriers. These will weigh on trade regardless of whether the UK and EU trade on preferential terms or not,” they said.

Deutsche Bank expects Britain to agree on a Canada-style trade deal with the bloc in the coming weeks, which is referred to as a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Such a deal would knock 0.6% off Britain’s gross domestic product (GDP) with a cost of 0.2% to the EU’s GDP, the analysts said.

Malta, Luxembourg and Ireland will be the hardest hit in Europe from the Brexit costs, while the “big four euro area economies will all face below-average costs”, they said.

However, “while in any other year, the trade shock from Brexit would likely result in a yearly contraction, we expect both the UK and EU economies to grow next year, deal or no deal,” the analysts said.

That’s because the trade costs “are small compared to the rebound expected from the economic recovery associated with coming out of lockdown”, they said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...l-deal-or-no-deal-deutsche-bank-idUSKBN2781N3
 
0.6% GDP reduction for Canada +++ doesn’t sound too bad a hit.

If this gov actually wants it, which I doubt.
 
Irish PM confident on Brexit, believes British PM wants deal

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland’s prime minister said on Saturday he thinks Britain and the European Union will strike a post-Brexit trade deal and that the resumption of talks this week is a good sign despite the challenges that remain.

Both sides have said they made good progress in the latest talks on a last-minute trade deal that would stave off a tumultuous finale to the five-year-old Brexit crisis, but fish is still the biggest sticking point.

“My gut instinct is that the (British) prime minister does want a deal,” Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told an online conference.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-believes-british-pm-wants-deal-idUSKBN2790IH
 
Post-Brexit trade talks extended, says No 10

The chief negotiators for the UK and EU will continue post-Brexit trade talks in London until Wednesday, says No 10.

Michel Barnier arrived in the UK on Thursday to restart negotiations with Lord David Frost after they stalled last week - but he was due to return home on Sunday.

EU sources told the BBC more talks are also planned in Brussels from Thursday.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said the extended talks were "a very good sign" a deal can be done.

But he told the BBC's Andrew Marr: "We have got to make sure it is a deal that works, not just for our partners in Europe... but one that works for the United Kingdom."

The UK left the EU on 31 January but has been in a so-called transition period - continuing to follow EU rules and pay into the bloc - while the two sides hammer out a post-Brexit trade agreement.

The transition period is due to end on 31 December, but if a deal is not reached, the UK will trade with the EU on World Trade Organisation rules.

Some critics fear a no-deal scenario will cause problems for businesses, but the government insists the UK will prosper.

The EU had said a deal needed to be agreed by the end of October to allow time for it to be ratified by all the relevant parliaments, but UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had warned of walking away from talks on 15 October.

After strong words from both sides and calls for "fundamental changes" to the approach to negotiations, a return to the table was agreed and Mr Barnier has been holding talks with UK chief negotiator Lord David Frost since Thursday.

On his arrival, Mr Barnier told reporters "every day counts" and the two sides shared a "huge common responsibility" in the talks.

The discussions had been expected to wrap up later on Sunday with the possibility of consequent conversations, but EU sources have told the BBC they will now continue in London for three more days, before moving to Brussels.

Mr Lewis said he was "always an optimist" around reaching a free trade agreement and he believed there was "a good chance we can get a deal".

But he told Andrew Marr: "The EU need to understand it is for them to move as well, so that we can get a deal that works for the UK as well - a proper free trade agreement that recognises us as the UK being a sovereign nation."

In line with a demand made by the UK, the talks resumed on all subjects based on proposed legal texts prepared by officials.

They also said that "nothing is agreed" until progress has been reached in all areas - which has been a key demand of the EU.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54681400
 
'Time is very short' Britain says as EU's Barnier heads to London

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday that time was very short to bridge the significant remaining gaps on key issues in talks with the European Union, as EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier heads to London to continue negotiations.

The United Kingdom left the European Union in January but the two sides are trying to clinch a deal that would govern nearly a trillion dollars in annual trade before a transition period of informal membership ends on Dec. 31.

After a brief hiatus when London walked away from the negotiating table, both sides are now meeting daily to try to find common ground.

At stake is the smooth flow of cross-border trade as well as the harder-to-quantify damage that a chaotic exit would do to areas such as security information sharing and research and development cooperation.

“There is ... much work to be done if we’re going to bridge what are the significant gaps that remain between our positions in the most difficult areas and time is very short,” Johnson’s spokesman said.

Barnier and his EU team will be in London until Wednesday, after which talks will switch to Brussels and continue through the weekend, an EU spokesperson said.

EU diplomats were not expected to be briefed on progress in the latest batch of talks until later in the week.

“There is ... much work to be done if we’re going to bridge what are the significant gaps that remain between our positions in the most difficult areas and time is very short,” Johnson’s spokesman said.

Barnier and his EU team will be in London until Wednesday, after which talks will switch to Brussels and continue through the weekend, an EU spokesperson said.

EU diplomats were not expected to be briefed on progress in the latest batch of talks until later in the week.

Although Britain insists it can prosper without a deal, British companies are facing a wall of bureaucracy that threatens chaos at the border if they want to sell into the world’s biggest trading bloc when life after Brexit begins on Jan. 1.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-as-eus-barnier-heads-to-london-idUSKBN27B197
 
EU's Barnier resumes Brexit trade talks in London

LONDON (Reuters) - European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier resumed talks in London with his British counterpart on Tuesday as the two sides try to strike a last-minute trade agreement less than 10 weeks before the United Kingdom leaves the bloc’s orbit.

The United Kingdom left the EU in January but the two sides are trying to clinch a deal that would govern nearly a trillion dollars in annual trade before informal membership - known as the transition period - ends on Dec. 31.

There is very little time left to bridge significant gaps between Britain and the EU on sticking points in talks about a post-Brexit trade deal, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Monday.

“There is also much work to be done if we’re going to bridge what are the significant gaps that remain between our positions in the most difficult areas and time is very short,” the spokesman said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...es-brexit-trade-talks-in-london-idUSKBN27C1BO
 
Much still to do on Brexit trade deal, EU's Barnier says

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union and Britain are working hard for a Brexit trade deal but much remains to be done, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said on Friday.

“After 7 days of intensive negotiations in London, talks continue with (UK chief negotiator) David Frost and his team in Brussels,” Barnier said in a tweet.

“Working hard for an agreement. Much remains to be done,” he said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...xit-trade-deal-eus-barnier-says-idUSKBN27F1UR
 
Barnier had 4 years, what was he doing?

Great to see UK grow a spine; Liberals and Remainers are not invited to the party.
 
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Brexit: Watchdog warns of 'significant' border disruption

UK trade with the EU faces "significant disruption" when the Brexit transition period ends in January, a government spending watchdog has said.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said it was "very unlikely" traders would be ready for checks the EU is due to impose at its borders.

It also warned "limited" time remained for UK ports to test new IT systems.

The government said "significant" efforts had been made to avoid disruption to businesses.

The UK is largely due to stop following EU trading rules from January 2021, having done so since formally leaving the bloc earlier this year.

Preparations are under way to prepare the border for the change, amid warnings the new systems might not be ready in time to avoid disruption.

In a report, the NAO said the end of the transition period would bring "significant change," even if the UK agrees a trade deal with the EU.

Even with a deal, traders will face new hurdles to clear - including the need to fill in customs declarations on goods being traded.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates it may need to process 270 million customs declarations from 2021, compared with 55 million currently.

In June, the government announced that - regardless of whether it reaches a post-Brexit trade deal - new checks on EU goods entering Great Britain would be phased in over six months from January 2021 to give firms "time to adjust".

However, the NAO said there was still "uncertainty" over where new border infrastructure would be located and whether it would be ready.

It also expressed concern traders would not be ready for the full checks on UK exports the EU is planning to implement from the start of 2021.

It cited the government's latest "worse case scenario" planning figures, which estimate 40% to 70% of lorries crossing the English Channel will not be ready.

Under the UK's withdrawal deal, Northern Ireland is due to enforce EU customs rules at its ports, requiring declarations for goods coming from GB.

The NAO said Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), which is responsible for planning checks on food and live animal imports, had been "severely hampered" by the continuing UK-EU trade talks.

The watchdog added that DAERA lacked "clarity" about the checks required, and now considers it will not be possible to finish work on its border infrastructure in time for January 2021 and is "exploring contingency options".

It added that the UK government's controversial Internal Market Bill, giving ministers powers to override sections of the Brexit divorce deal, had "further increased this uncertainty".

In addition, it added there were still "various operational issues to be resolved" for goods crossing the English Channel.

This included making sure hauliers are able to use a planned online service allowing them to declare they have the correct documents for the EU border and thus obtain a permit to drive on certain roads in Kent.

The NAO also said border preparations had been hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, with senior officials being diverted to the emergency response and communication efforts being temporarily paused.

'Badly let down'
Labour MP Meg Hillier, who chairs Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, said ministers had not given businesses "enough time to prepare".

"It's incredibly worrying that, with two months to go, critical computer systems haven't been properly tested," she added.

"The government can only hope that everything comes together on the day, but this is not certain."

On Thursday, Rod McKenzie, policy director for the Road Haulage Association, told a Scottish Parliament committee his industry had been "been badly let down by the UK government from beginning to end."

'New opportunities'
He added that the information given to hauliers to help them implement the international permits they will require in the event of no trade deal being reached had been "quite often totally incomprehensible".

In response to the NAO's report, a UK government spokesperson said it had invested £705m to ensure the "right border infrastructure, staffing and technology is in place".

"With fewer than two months to go, it's vital that businesses and citizens prepare too," they added.

"That's why we're intensifying our engagement with businesses and running a major public information campaign so they know exactly what they need to do to grasp the new opportunities available as the transition period ends."
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54829094.
 
Boris Johnson: 'Deal to be done' on post-Brexit EU trade

Boris Johnson has said he believes there is "a deal to be done" on post-Brexit trade with the EU.

But while the UK prime minister "very much hopes" to come to an agreement, he said the country was "very well prepared" to move on without one.

Mr Johnson made the comments ahead of a call with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday.

The National Audit Office has warned of "significant disruption" when the Brexit transition period ends.

The UK left the EU on 31 January and entered the transition period - continuing to follow many EU rules - while a trade deal was negotiated.

But while both sides said a deal needed to be done in October, they have yet to come to an agreement, and talks between the negotiating teams have intensified.

The transition period is due to come to an end on 31 December, meaning the UK would trade with the EU on World Trade Organisation rules - meaning tariffs are imposed - if a deal is not in place.

Critics say this could cause damage to the UK economy, but the government insists the country will prosper with or without a deal.

'Well prepared'
Earlier this week, both the UK and EU's chief trade negotiators warned of "wide" and "serious divergences" between the two sides.

Sticking points include fishing rights, competition rules and how a deal would be enforced.

Asked on Friday if the UK could get a deal in the next 10 days, Mr Johnson said: "I very much hope that we will, but obviously that depends on our friends and partners across the Channel.

"I think there is a deal to be done, if they want to do it.

"If not, the country is, of course, very well prepared. As I have said before, we can do very well with on Australian terms [without a deal], if that is what we have to go for."
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54840747.
 
Significant differences still remain in EU-UK trade talks

LONDON (Reuters) - Significant differences remain in talks over a trade deal between Britain and the European Union, both sides said on Saturday, as they promised to step up efforts to find an agreement.

After a call between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, both said talks would continue in London next week but that the main sticking points remained.

“The prime minister set out that, while some progress had been made in recent discussions, significant differences remain in a number of areas, including the so-called level playing field and fish,” a spokesman for Johnson’s office said.

There was a similar message from Von der Leyen.

“Some progress has been made, but large differences remain especially on level playing field and fisheries,” she said on Twitter.

Britain formally left the EU last January but has been following the bloc’s rules since then as the two sides try to agree on their future trade relationship.

The transition period ends on Dec. 31 but negotiators are still trying to reach an agreement to protect nearly a trillion dollars in annual trade from possible quotas and tariffs.

Both sides say an agreement can be struck before then but little progress has been made over the issues of corporate fair play, fishing rights and the settling of disputes.

The chief negotiators, the EU’s Michel Barnier and Britain’s David Frost, will resume talks in London on Monday and will “redouble efforts to reach a deal”, Johnson’s office said.

“Our teams will continue working hard next week. We will remain in close contact in the next days,” Von der Leyen said.

Time is running out for an agreement this year, and European lawmakers who discussed the matter on Friday said that for this to happen, a deal must be in place by the middle of this month.

Even if there is a deal, a report this week said trade between Britain and the EU still faces widespread disruption from Jan. 1, while systems needed to implement requirements of the Brexit divorce deal will not be ready.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ill-remain-in-eu-uk-trade-talks-idUSKBN27N0GH
 
UK sees goodwill for Brexit trade deal, open to 'sensible' fishing compromise

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday it was open to a “sensible” compromise on fishing and that there was goodwill on both sides to progress towards a Brexit trade deal, with the European Union saying it was redoubling its efforts for an accord.

The United Kingdom left the EU in January but the sides are trying to clinch a deal that would govern nearly 1 trillion dollars in annual trade before transitional arrangements end on Dec. 31.

“There are still differences, there are still some obstacles to overcome,” British Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky News. “But I think there is now some goodwill on both sides to progress things.”

After congratulating Joe Biden on his U.S. presidential election win, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday an EU trade deal was “there to be done” and that the broad outlines were clear.

Back in Britain on Monday for another round of talks, EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said: “Happy to be back in London today, redoubling our efforts to reach agreement on the future partnership.”

Barnier said there remained three keys to unlocking a deal: respectful enforcement mechanisms, guarantees of fair competition, and stable access to markets including fishing.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-to-sensible-fishing-compromise-idUSKBN27P0MD
 
John major is crying about Brexit again.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">5) John Major: "There is no consensus on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brexit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brexit</a>, and never has been. It was a bitterly divisive policy, and uncorked a populism that may be difficult to quell.<br>The Referendum debate was unlike any I have known before. Emotion overcame reality".</p>— Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) <a href="https://twitter.com/antoguerrera/status/1325878848475557889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">6) Sir John on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brexit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brexit</a>: <br><br>"Fiction defeated fact and fostered a belief in a past that never was – whilst boosting enthusiasm for a future that may never be.".<br><br>"If that mode of politics takes root, it will kill all respect in our system of government".</p>— Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) <a href="https://twitter.com/antoguerrera/status/1325879186599383040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Odd how the nondescript dullard right-winger Sir John Major is being held up as a voice of authority nowadays. When he was Prime Minister he was universally mocked and reviled, and he ineptly led the Tory Party to their worst ever and most embarrassing electoral loss. So either our political standards have now slipped considerably due to what is now on offer out there (possible), or, Major is experiencing a largely undeserved revival. It’s probably a bit of both.
 
James said:
Odd how the nondescript dullard right-winger Sir John Major is being held up as a voice of authority nowadays. When he was Prime Minister he was universally mocked and reviled, and he ineptly led the Tory Party to their worst ever and most embarrassing electoral loss. So either our political standards have now slipped considerably due to what is now on offer out there (possible), or, Major is experiencing a largely undeserved revival. It’s probably a bit of both.
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They have slipped considerably. He was capable, honourable and decent. Compared to the current venal bunch of incompetents and spivs, he looks like Gladstone, Disraeli, Churchill and Attlee combined.

He tried to be a One Nation Tory and reduce the inequalities of the Thatcher era. He began the NI Peace Process and did most of the hard yards.

In hindsight he should have given us a referendum on Maastricht. I don’t think we would have gone in, but would have remained in EFTA / EAA. Then we could still enjoy the single market, EurAtom, EuroPol and Erasmus instead of cutting those ties.
 
John Major? The PM who took the UK into the EU via stealth, by not giving the people the vote on EU membership. Yes, yes, must be ignored and lumped with Tony Blair.
 
EU summit on 19 November seen as deadline for draft Brexit deal

A summit of EU leaders on 19 November is now viewed by Brussels as the final deadline for a draft Brexit deal, with negotiations on Britain’s future trade and security relationship with the bloc set to go to the wire.

The teams of negotiators working in London had hoped to be able to pass on a deal to MEPs for scrutiny by 18 November to allow time for parliamentary ratification but the talks remain difficult, according to sources on both sides.

Next Thursday’s video conference summit of the 27 heads of state and government, arranged to discuss the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic, is now being seen as a key moment in the Brexit saga.

“If there isn’t good news by then, then you really have to say that time is up – it just isn’t possible,” said one senior EU diplomat. “The leaders will need to see that it is there.”

A final arbitration session between Boris Johnson and the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, is also a possibility should the negotiators move closer to each other’s positions on the outstanding issues.

The thorniest problems to resolve remain the level of access to UK waters provided to EU fishing fleets, how to maintain fair competition rules for business – including rules on domestic subsidies – and the mechanism in the final treaty for resolving future disputes.

UK sources have complained that Brussels has as yet failed to show enough “realism” about the scale of the change to the level of fishing opportunities the EU member states’ fleet will have in Britain’s exclusive economic zone from next year.

On ensuring a so-called “level playing field” for businesses in the UK and the EU, progress is being made on how the two sides’ domestic subsidy regimes would operate but difficulties remain in establishing a mechanism whereby a baseline of environmental, labour and social standards would develop in tandem for both sides.

Downing Street has insisted that the UK needs to be able to diverge its rule book, while the EU has said it will not grant a “zero tariff, zero quota” deal if British companies are not operating under rules that are at least equivalent to those set by Brussels.

Despite the difficulties, the prime minister said on Sunday that a trade and security deal was “there to be done” and that the broad outline was already “pretty clear”. Johnson spoke to Von der Leyen on Saturday.

The sliding Brexit timeline will be a cause for concern in the European parliament, where MEPs had insisted that they would need to have the agreement in front of them by next Monday to start the ratification process.

It was hoped that the parliament would vote on the deal on 16 December. Sources in the European parliament said that an extraordinary sitting of the chamber may now need to be arranged for 28 December – just three days before the end of the transition period when the UK leaves the single market and customs union.

Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, said he believed a deal would be struck despite the differences between the two sides.

He said: “I think we may well be likely to go into next week on these negotiations. We’re not there yet. What I would say is the UK government understand only too well what’s needed for an agreement here. I don’t believe the EU ask is unreasonable and the EU also needs to show some compromise to accommodate many British asks.

“If we can overcome those issues, in particular fish which is very emotive and very political then I think we can get a deal done. If we can’t get a deal done it will represent an extraordinary failure of politics and diplomacy.””

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/11/eu-summit-19-november-deadline-draft-brexit-deal
 
James said:
Getting a bit dull and repetitive now. And by a bit, I mean very.

This is obviously building towards a supposedly stunning reveal in late November, when the new Free Trade Agreement is agreed and signed by both parties upon which it then sails through both Parliaments in time for Christmas.
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One can only hope.

Bit awkward having a customs union round the island of Ireland though - in effect a border within the U.K.
 
Medicine supply chains to change post Brexit, MPs told

Supply chains bringing medicines into Northern Ireland will change "significantly" after Brexit, MP's have been warned.

They were also assured there will be no disruption to the availability of drugs and the current safety standards will be maintained.

Members of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee heard evidence on Wednesday from the pharmaceutical industry.

It focused on the impact of Brexit on the supply of medical drugs.

They were told at present 80% of drugs come into Northern Ireland from Great Britain through the ports, but that in the future medicines are likely to be "shipped in directly from Europe".

Dr Richard Greville, director of distribution and supply with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry told MP's nothing will change until the end of next year.

This is due to a one year "phasing in" period agreed between the UK and EU.

'Ducks in a row'
Under the protocol. Northern Ireland will stay under the EU regulatory regime for medicines following the end of the transition period.

"This extra time is particularly helpful and useful for everybody to get their ducks in a row to ensure continuity of supply in Northern Ireland," said Dr Greville.

"It gives the appropriate and sufficient time to change supply chains, because those supply chains will need to be changed significantly."

He added: "It may be that in future that companies, manufacturers would need to make contractual arrangements with wholesalers not necessarily the ones that they currently use in GB, but may choose to distribute via for example through the Republic."

Dr Greville told MP's that medicines sold in Northern Ireland will have to carry a unique identifier under EU regulations which protect against counterfeit drugs.

But packs of medicines produced in Great Britain will not have the "obligation of using this unique identifier".

"So basically what I'm saying is that in the future, Northern Ireland will have to be supplied with packs of medicines that are compliant, if not from GB from other parts of Europe," said Dr Greville.

"That is part of the work that individual companies will have to work through next year."

He stressed there will be no "impact in terms of quality of patient safety".
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-54902984.
 
Irish PM says on Brexit: Biden wants a deal so Johnson should knuckle down

LONDON (Reuters) - Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Thursday that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden wanted Britain to reach a Brexit trade deal with the European Union, so Prime Minister Boris Johnson should knuckle down.

Biden’s win in the U.S. presidential election has changed the international context of Brexit: U.S. President Donald Trump backed Britain’s decision to leave the EU, while Biden served as vice president under Barack Obama, who advised against it.

Biden, who is proud of his Irish heritage, has repeatedly said the U.S.-brokered 1998 “Good Friday” peace deal for Northern Ireland must not be undermined. That has been seen as a warning against a bill proposed by Johnson that would negate parts of Britain’s EU divorce agreement governing the UK-Ireland border.

Biden repeated his support for the Good Friday agreement in a phone call with Johnson on Tuesday. The president-elect has said that if Britain undermines it, London will not be able to obtain a trade deal with the United States.

“He is very committed to the Good Friday Agreement,” Martin said of Biden. “Particularly in relation to Brexit, he would favour obviously a deal between the European Union and Britain.”

“And I think that’s where, if I could respectfully say it, that’s where the British government should head, in that direction, in my view. It should knuckle down and... get a deal with the European Union,” Martin told BBC radio.

The United Kingdom left the EU in January. The two sides are trying to clinch a deal that would govern trade once a status quo transition period ends on Dec. 31. Many businesses say an exit without a deal would cause chaos.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-so-johnson-should-knuckle-down-idUSKBN27S0XW
 
EU-UK talks: 'Make or break' moment approaching, say both sides

Trade talks between the UK and EU are reaching the "make or break" point, the two sides have said, with key differences proving hard to resolve.

EU sources said there had been less progress in recent days on outstanding sticking points than they had hoped for and the "moment of truth" was nearing.

UK sources said there were still "quite big gaps" between the sides.

Both sides doubted that a draft deal could now be reached in the coming days, as the EU had originally hoped.

The two sides are in a race against the clock to settle their future economic partnership in time for it to take effect on 1 January, when the UK will leave the EU's single market and customs union.

UK sources indicated there had been no breakthrough this week between the UK's negotiator David Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier, with the two ending their discussions in a similar position to how they started them.

An EU source familiar with the process said one of their meetings had been "short and brutal".

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54935034
 
UK, Ireland say breakthrough needed in Brexit talks this week

LONDON (Reuters) - There has to be a breakthrough this week on a post-Brexit trade agreement, British and Irish ministers said on Sunday, as London’s top negotiator went back into talks saying progress had been made in recent days.

Without a deal, around $1 trillion worth of trade would be at risk of disruption through tariffs and tougher rules after the Dec. 31 expiry of Britain’s transition period for leaving the European Union.

That would deliver a fresh economic shock just as Britain and the EU are struggling to contain the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This needs to be a week when things move, when we break through some of these difficult issues and get a resolution and at least have some sort of headlines, if you like, of an agreement,” British environment secretary George Eustice told Sky News on Sunday.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said time was running out for a deal.

“We have got to make big progress this week,” Coveney told Sky. “This is very difficult but it is also very doable.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...eeded-in-brexit-talks-this-week-idUSKBN27V07O
 
Brexit: PM confident UK 'will prosper' without EU trade deal

Boris Johnson has reiterated he is "confident [the UK] will prosper" outside the EU if a post-Brexit trade deal is not agreed with the bloc.

Talks began again in Brussels on Monday, with the UK's chief negotiator saying there had been "progress in a positive direction" on a deal.

But Lord David Frost said "significant elements" are yet to be agreed.

His EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, said he wanted "future cooperation to be open but fair" with the UK.

Tweeting as talks started, he added: "We remain determined, patient, respectful."

Sticking points between the two sides focus on competition rules and state aid for businesses, as well as fishing rights.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said there was still a "very, very wide gap" on fishing, with no progress on the issue since the summer.

He told RTE: "Until we can find a way of doing that, there isn't going to be an agreement."

The UK left the EU on 31 January, but continues to follow the bloc's rules until the end of the year while negotiations take place.

Any deal between the UK and EU would need to be ratified by parliaments on both sides, so time is running out for an agreement to be reached and to get the sign off before 31 December.

If there is no agreement at that point, trade between the two will default to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules - with tariffs set to be introduced on many imports and exports, which could push up costs.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54958343
 
British PM tells ministers an EU deal is far from certain

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his top ministers on Tuesday it was far from certain that a trade agreement would be reached with the European Union and that time was running “very short”, his spokesman said.

“The PM said that his position hasn’t changed: the UK is keen to secure a deal with the EU, but not at the cost of our core principles around sovereignty and control over our laws, borders, money – and our fish,” the spokesman told reporters.

“Significant issues remain, particularly on the so-called level playing field and fisheries. We are working hard to find solutions which fully respect UK sovereignty, but it is far from certain that an agreement will prove possible and time is now very short.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...u-deal-is-far-from-certain-idUSKBN27X1PM?il=0
 
Northern Ireland businesses call for Brexit transition extension

Northern Ireland businesses have called for an extension of the Brexit transition period in the region, warning they “simply will not be ready” for the mandatory border checks on 1 January.

They say they are the “rope in a tug of war” between the UK and the EU and warned of a “huge black hole” in information and a “disconnect” with Westminster and Brussels over the reality of Brexit checks kicking in 43 days’ time.

“There is a responsibility on the EU as well as the UK” to make sure the Northern Ireland protocol works, Stephen Kelly, the chief executive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland, told MPs.

While Brexit trade talks remain in the balance, the Northern Ireland protocol, which will involve border checks down the Irish Sea, is due to kick in at the end of the transition period – deal or no deal.

Kelly called for pragmatism over cross-border shopping. “Selling a lasagne at an Asda in Strabane that might make its way to Donegal is not going to pollute the entire single market,” he told the Brexit select committee.

MPs were also told that if the protocol was applied to the letter that a simple ham and cheese sandwich made in Britain and sold in Belfast would need two health certificates to get through the border control posts.

These issues were supposed to be ironed out by the UK-EU joint committee chaired by Michael Gove and Maroš Šefčovič but Northern Ireland traders have had “no conversations with anyone” about the at-risk goods, said Kelly.

Kelly said Northern Ireland could be recurring nightmare for the EU unless they made the protocol work and said they needed to be “generous in spirit” and grant an implementation period for the protocol.

“The EU need to make it work,” he said but they needed to get businesses to “make it stick”.

“We are more than a pawn in the game and say that’s a tug of war and we’re the rope and that rope is sadly being stretched,” he warned.

His concerns were echoed by Aodhán Connolly, the director of Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, who said

“We are hugely worried” that retail sector will not be ready as it was being asked to make “structural changes that would normally take two years” in six weeks. “We need an implementation period,” he added.

Victor Chestnutt, the president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, told MPs it was only beginning to sink in now that farmers in the region would be treated differently to those in the rest of the UK, and that “all farmers” would need special paperwork to import secondhand machinery and agriproducts including grass seed and seed potatoes.

At a recent webinar only five out of 140 farmers said they knew about the paperwork.

There is “a huge disconnect between government and farmers on what we need to do”.

“With six weeks until the day, it feels like we’re going forward with both arms tied behind our back and a blindfold on. You know if you give us clarity and give us time, we will get through it. But we do need an implementation period or honeymoon period,” Chestnutt warned.

“We have a transition period but we do not know what we are transitioning to with six weeks to go,” he added.

The committee heard there was not enough time to make the mandatory changes to food labelling. There were also concerns that the agrifood sector did not know if it faced a Brexit cliff-edge on 1 January for its thriving cross-border operations.

The Shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Louise Haigh, told parliament during an urgent question that the “reckless approach” of the government meant “thousands of businesses still do not know the bare basics of how they will trade with Great Britain in just six weeks time”.

Some £2.6bn in agrifood produced in Northern Ireland goes to Great Britain and 60% of that transits through Dublin Port, the committee heard.

“It’s a cyclical, circular, integrated supply chain across these islands,” said Connolly.

The committee heard that no deal would block this trade on the island of Ireland with data showing a “cottage pie” has “nine border movements” and Baileys Irish Cream had five such border crossings. “If that [model] is removed it means means delays, less choice, less freshness.”

The Northern Ireland minister Robin Walker told parliament it was pursuing a “flexible” approach and the protocol was “on track” to be delivered on time.

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...sinesses-call-for-brexit-transition-extension
 
Does anyone believe we will be seeing negative interest rates?

BoE seems to be heading in that direction. Or is it just a threat to get savers to spend?
 
msaaim89 said:
Does anyone believe we will be seeing negative interest rates?

BoE seems to be heading in that direction. Or is it just a threat to get savers to spend?
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My IFA thinks so. Start to reinflate the economy.
 
UK 'will be less safe without EU security deal' - police chief

The UK will be less safe if it fails to strike a post-Brexit security deal with the EU, Britain's top counter-terrorism officer has said.

Neil Basu told the BBC's Newscast podcast a deal was "incredibly important for the safety and security of our country".

He said he was hopeful of a better security and law enforcement agreement than the UK currently has.

The government said the safety and security of citizens was a priority.

Talks between the UK and EU are ongoing ahead of the 31 December deadline for a deal.

The UK left the EU on 31 January, but continues to follow current EU rules until the end of the year while negotiations take place.

Any deal would need to be ratified by parliaments on both sides.

On security, the UK had wanted to maintain the same access to shared databases that it has now, but the EU says that is not on offer to non-members.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mr Basu told BBC Newscast: "We need to negotiate a security treaty that either retains or improves on the current position that we've got today.

"It's incredibly important for the safety and security of our country. And I know the government gets that. And I know that that is what it's aiming for."

When asked what a no-deal Brexit would mean for UK security, he said: "The country would be less safe in a non-negotiated outcome where a security treaty wasn't forthcoming. That's the bottom line."

Mr Basu said he was keen to know the outcome of negotiations as soon as possible.

"We've made it very clear that we need as much time to negotiate those agreements with our European counterparts as possible, and we can't do that until the negotiations are finished," he said.

"We've been very clear to government right from the start of this process, and I'm confident they have listened to our concerns."

A spokesman for the government said: "The safety and security of our citizens is our top priority, and the UK will continue to be a global leader on security and one of the safest countries in the world.

"We are focused on reaching an agreement with the EU and there is a good degree of convergence in what the UK and EU are seeking to negotiate in terms of operational capabilities."

If it was impossible to reach an agreement, they said, "we have well-developed and well-rehearsed plans in place".

On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "confident [the UK] will prosper" outside the EU if a post-Brexit trade deal is not agreed with the bloc".

Following the most recent talks in Brussels, the UK's chief negotiator Lord David Frost said there had been "progress", while his EU counterpart Michel Barnier said he wanted "future cooperation to be open but fair" with the UK.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54997372
 
EU says Brexit deal still 'metres from the finish line'

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union and Britain have made better progress towards a trade deal in the last few days but there is still a lot of work to do for an agreement to be in place by the end-year deadline, the bloc’s chief executive said on Friday.

Diplomats briefed earlier by the EU’s executive, which is negotiating with Britain on behalf of the 27 member states, said Brussels and London remained at odds over fishing rights, fair competition guarantees and ways to solve future disputes.

However, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sounded a more optimistic note on the last-ditch talks at a news conference, pointing to progress on the question of ensuring a level playing field for state aid.

“After difficult weeks with very, very slow progress, now we’ve seen in the last days better progress, more movement on important files. This is good,” she said.

“Within the frame of the level playing field, progress for example has been made with state aid, but there are still quite some metres to the finish line so there’s a lot of work to do.”

Three senior EU diplomats told Reuters that, at the briefing for ambassadors, the Commission stressed that talks were still snagged on the three core issues, but there was now momentum that made them hopeful a deal could be clinched on time.

“There really was a feeling that we are seeing a lot of momentum and that somehow we will find a way,” one said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ill-metres-from-the-finish-line-idUSKBN2800VY
 
Brexit deal close to being finalised, EU ambassadors told

A trade and security agreement with Britain is close to being finalised but the risk remains of an accidental no-deal Brexit in six weeks, with gaps on the contentious issues “slowly shrinking”, EU ambassadors have been told.

With Michel Barnier in self-isolation after an EU negotiator tested positive for coronavirus, the talks will be conducted almost entirely online over the next few days.

The European commission’s most senior official, Ilze Juhansone, told representatives of the 27 member states in Brussels that the majority of the 11 key negotiation issues now had “joint legal texts with fewer and fewer outstanding points”.

The two sides are also zoning in on agreements on EU access to UK fishing waters and the design of a mechanism to ensure neither side can distort trade through undercutting standards.

The European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, offered fresh cause for optimism during a press conference. “After difficult weeks with very, very slow progress now we have seen in the last days better progress, more movement on important files. This is good,” she said.

“Within the frame of the level playing field, progress, for example, has been made on the question of state aid, but there are still quite some metres to the finish line so there’s still a lot of work to do.

“Where the timelines are concerned, time pressure is high without any question at the moment.

“There’s a lot to work on, because there is now substance where you can go through line by line, word for word.

“The whole team is engaged and working tirelessly day and night to reach the natural deadline we have to be done by the end of the year.”

It is understood that the UK’s insistence that it needs to be able to set its own environmental, labour and social standards without any prior approval remains difficult, as does the definition of the current standards from which both sides say they will not regress.

The details of the treaty’s dispute resolution system is also proving hard to thrash out, with the UK wanting fisheries to be outside any sanctions regime.

A UK official said: “Although there has been some progress in recent days, there is much work to be done and time is now very short. We now need to see more realism from the EU on what it means for the UK to be an independent state.”

EU sources said they were increasingly optimistic that agreement could be found, although time was said to be a concern.

One EU diplomat said: “There is tangible progress on a number of areas while gaps are only slowly shrinking on core issues like level playing field, governance and fisheries.

“Growing concern that the negotiation process does not proceed quickly enough to ensure the ratification of a possible agreement until the end-of-the-year deadline.

“Hope is nevertheless that negotiations can be finalised quickly if and once the necessary political decisions are taken in London.

“At the same time, EU member states are in agreement that contingency planning needs to be ramped up in parallel to the ongoing and hopefully successful EU-UK negotiation process. Still the EU needs to be prepared for every possible outcome.”

Such is the shortness of time, that Juhansone told the ambassadors it was likely they would not be able to translate the treaty of over 600 pages into all of the bloc’s 24 official languages.

France’s ambassador insisted that the translation of the treaty into French was key for Paris to approve the deal, and called for a discussion on the legal nature of the agreement within days.

If the treaty only involves EU competences, it will only need consent by the European parliament but the process is complicated when it affects areas where national parliaments have a decisive role.

The deal, even if it involves both EU and national competences, could provisionally be brought into force on 1 January, with the national parliaments ratifying at a later date. But member states are seeking time at least for their MPs to debate the detail of the deal in the remaining month and a half.

Officials dismissed suggestions that the European parliament could give its consent after 31 December. “It is not being considered,” said one source.

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-close-to-being-finalised-eu-ambassadors-told
 
EU trade deal will be sorted at the end of the month. Pleasing, and of course predictable.
 
Brexit: Face-to-face trade talks to resume in London

Face-to-face Brexit trade talks are to resume in London this weekend, EU sources have told the BBC.

In-person negotiations were suspended when the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier had to self isolate after a colleague tested positive for Covid last week.

There had been reports that Mr Barnier would not travel to London unless the UK changed its negotiating stance.

One senior EU figure suggested the talks could be brief.

On Thursday there appeared to be uncertainty over the in-person talks.

Asked on Thursday if they were expecting Mr Barnier to arrive, a Downing Street spokesperson had said "that's a matter for the EU and a decision for them".

Both sides are hoping to reach a trade deal before the 31 December deadline.

If nothing is agreed by then, trading between the two will default to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules meaning tariffs will be introduced, and costs on products could rise.

So far, the major areas of disagreement have been competition rules - where governments give state aid support to businesses - and fishing rights.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-55090861.
 
Brexit goes down to the wire: EU and UK say big differences remain

BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union and Britain said on Friday there were still substantial differences over a Brexit trade deal as the EU chief negotiator prepared to travel to London in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a tumultuous finale to the five-year Brexit crisis.

With just five weeks left until the United Kingdom finally exits the EU’s orbit on Dec. 31, both sides are calling on the other to compromise on the three main issues of contention - fishing, state aid and how to resolve any future disputes.

The two sides will shortly resume face-to-face negotiations after they had to be suspended last week when one of EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier’s team tested positive for COVID-19.

“Clearly there are substantial and important differences still to be bridged but we’re getting on with it,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters.

“The likelihood of a deal is very much determined by our friends and partners in the EU -- there’s a deal there to be done if they want to do it.”

Barnier said on Twitter he would travel to London on Friday evening for talks with Britain’s chief negotiator David Frost.

“Same significant divergences persist,” Barnier said.

Neither side has so far shown a willingness to shift enough on the three outstanding issues to allow a breakthrough.

“It is late, but a deal is still possible, and I will continue to talk until it’s clear that it isn’t,” Frost said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...d-uk-say-big-differences-remain-idUSKBN2870S4
 
Brexit negotiations restart in person as clock ticks down

LONDON (Reuters) - Face-to-face negotiations between Britain and the European Union over a trade deal restarted on Saturday, in a last-ditch attempt to find agreement with just five weeks to go before their current relationship ends.

EU negotiator Michel Barnier arrived for talks in London on Saturday morning. He said on Friday night that he was “very happy” to be back in the city and would keep working with “patience and determination”.

Barnier and Britain’s chief negotiator David Frost are working to secure a deal before the UK’s transition period with the EU ends on Dec. 31. Both sides are calling for the other to compromise on the three main issues of contention - fishing, state aid and how to resolve any future disputes.

Britain left the bloc on Jan. 31 this year and a “no-deal” final exit would snarl borders, spook financial markets and disrupt delicate supply chains that stretch across Europe and beyond -- just as the world grapples with the vast economic cost of the COVID-19 outbreak.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin on Friday evening. Johnson underlined his commitment to reaching a deal that respects the sovereignty of the UK, according to a UK statement.

On the major sticking point of fishing, some media reports on Friday suggested that Britain had rejected an EU proposal on the value of fish quota that European fleets catch in British waters that are due to be restored to the UK.

The Telegraph newspaper reported that the EU was set to concede on Brexit fishing rights.

https://www.reuters.com/article/bri...t-in-person-as-clock-ticks-down-idUSKBN2880D4
 
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